Summer Love
by wildnfree21
Summary: Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned any part of the Baby-sitters' Club series/merchandise. All characters in this manuscript are the property of Ann M. Martin
1. Chapter One

Chapter One:  
  
  
  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
My hand flew to my alarm clock's OFF button and I groaned. Another new day. I   
pulled away my covers and sat up groggily.  
My body felt like lead and I could barely move a muscle.   
"Must...get...up..." I moaned dramatically. Slowly, inch by inch, I moved my   
tired body towards my bathroom.  
Why was I like this? Kristy Thomas was most definitely a morning person, so why   
was she feeling so darn tired today? Before  
going into the bathroom, I steered to the right, left my room and went to my   
brother Sam's. An alarm clock was useless for  
Sam, he slept like a rock and you would have to yell, pull and slap at him until   
he so much as twitched an eye. Guess who gets  
the great honor of the Waking of the Shrew? Yours truly, Kristy Thomas.  
"Sam!" I shouted, banging on his door, even though I knew he wouldn't hear me.   
"SAM?!"   
"What?" I was shocked to hear a voice from inside.   
"Um... Sam?" I asked.  
The door opened and Sam appeared. Well, I THINK it was Sam. His curly brown hair   
was more tousled than usual, his eyes  
were bloodshot and he was still wearing those ratty old sweats from the night   
before.  
"What is it Kristy?" he asked me, seeming somewhat annoyed.   
"Time to wake up." I said.  
"Why?" He asked, looking confused.  
"For school, Sam. Remember?" I asked, waving my hand in front of his face.   
He stared at me like he didn't know what I was talking about, then he started to   
grin. "Well, I'll tell you what. YOU can get  
ready for school, and then YOU can go."  
"Sam!" I exclaimed. "Don't play these mind games with me right now!"  
"I'm not playing a mind game, Kristy." He told me. "I was just implying that if   
you really want to go to school today, you'll be the  
only one there."  
I frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"  
"Honestly Kristy, your circuits are dead..." He said, pushing my forehead away   
from him. "It's summer vacation."  
Without another word, he shut the door and left me staring at it in shock.   
"What?" I asked, still densely not getting what he had said.  
"Check your calender!" He yelled through the closed door. "It's the first day of   
summer. You've just finished your freshman year  
of high school."  
Summer. Yesterday was the last day of ninth grade. Now I had three glorious   
months of nothing but vegging out in front of the  
TV, watching movies with my best friends and of course: baby-sitting!  
I let out a loud whoop and bounded back into my room. I jumped up and down in   
truimph, giddy with relief. What should I  
do first? Call Mary Anne? No, too early, her father would have a fit. Go to the   
movies? Still too early, the theater wasn't even  
open yet. The only thing on TV this early in the morning were infomercials. My   
eyes landed on my bed. Hmm, now it wasn't   
too early in the morning for this. I jumped on my bed, wrapped myself in my   
blanket and fell asleep. I love summer!  
  
  
"Let's go to Ralph Lauren!" Stacey McGill exclaimed as we zipped down the   
Washington Mall.  
I sighed as I plopped down onto a nearby bench. How could shopping not wear them   
down? Stacey and Claudia Kishi had  
dragged Mary Anne Spier and I all over the mall to celebrate the beginning of   
summer. Even though the Baby-sitters Club had  
closed down in the beginning of the school year, we still hung out and were very   
close. Plus, we still baby-sit often. Things were  
working out so well, that it was hard to be too depressed about the club   
closing.   
"Oh please, you guys." I groaned. "My feet hurt, can't we just rest? We've been   
shopping for five hours. I think that's enough."  
Stacey and Claudia looked at me as if I had just spoken in French.  
"But we're just getting started!" Stacey exclaimed.   
Mary Anne sighed. "That's what you said after the third store." She pointed to   
about five bags at Stacey's feet.  
Stacey pressed her lips together and shrugged. "You should see me in New York."  
"We've seen you." I replied. She WAS worse.  
As painful as it was, shopping did come to an end and we finally were sitting   
outside the mall waiting for Sam to come pick us  
up. I leaned against the bench and closed my eyes. Mary Anne looked at all the   
people around her. Stacey and Claud were   
comparing outfits that they had bought and were already discussing what to wear   
first.   
"Where is Sam at?" I wondered half an hour later. "He should have been here by   
now."  
"Don't worry about it Kristy." Claudia admonished me. "He'll be here. He's   
probably just enjoying all the new found freedom. You  
remember all the homework he had this year."  
"Okay." I mumbled. That didn't sound much like Sam, but okay.  
Suddenly, Mary Anne sat up, a terrified expression passing over her face. She   
turned a sickly pale and started to stammer  
incoherently.  
"What's wrong, Mary Anne?" I asked.   
"Cokie." She spat in a disgusted whisper. "And Logan."  
My head snapped around so hard I thought I might snap my neck. Sure enough,   
there was Cokie Mason and Logan Bruno (Mary Anne's  
ex-boyfriend). They were each carrying a folder and a roll of tape. Logan said   
something to Cokie that made her laugh loudly,  
her voice carrying over to our area like a crow's cawwing.  
"Logan? What is he doing with her?" I asked.  
"Isn't it obvious?" Claudia asked in disgust.  
"Oh, who cares?" Mary Anne replied, glaring at them. "Logan and I aren't   
together anymore, why should it matter?"  
We watched rather conspicuously as Cokie held up one of the fliers and Logan   
taped it onto the wall. The two stood back and  
admired it, as if they had just created a work of art before heading away. They   
passed right by us and I know Cokie saw Mary Anne  
gaping at them, because she moved closer to Logan, almost placing her head on   
his shoulder. He didn't push her away.  
Claudia, Stacey and all turned our heads to see Mary Anne's reaction. She was   
looking down at her nails, peeling away the   
remains of her last polishing. She looked up and shrugged. "What are you all   
looking at? Haven't you ever seen two idiots walking  
before?"  
Now, this wasn't the worst thing in the world to say, but Mary Anne isn't the   
type to say mean things about anyone or anything,  
no matter what.   
"Would you all just please stop staring?" She asked when we continued to gape at   
her.   
We all stared down at our hands until Sam arrived to take us home.  
  
  
"Where were you?" I asked him after we dropped Mary Anne and Claudia off. "You   
were almost an hour late to pick us up."  
"Oh, yeah, sorry about that." Sam replied. "But a friend of mine, Cary Retlin,   
just got a Playstation 2, he invited me over to play  
a few of his games. We got kind of wrapped up in it. I was winning."  
"CARY RETLIN!" I exclaimed. "Since when has Cary Retlin been a friend of yours?"  
"Since you had that party at the house last year. You invited all your friends.   
He was there too." Sam said. "I thought it was so  
cool that his dad used to be a cop. Wish ours was, maybe he would have stuck   
around longer. But then he started teaching me  
all those Harry Houdini stuff that he always pulls on the lockers. Oh, by the   
way," He added mischeivously. "That diary with the  
lock that you write in? I wouldn't write in it anymore if I were you."  
"Why you!" I wished that there was something I could throw at him.   
Cary Retlin? My brother was friends with Cary Retlin. How long has that been   
going on? All of freshman year? I never saw  
Cary around the house, probably because I was always out with my friends.   
"Oh, and Cary's coming over tomorrow to let me borrow the PS2, so don't make a   
fuss and embarrass me." Sam said.  
I blew a raspberry and slumped down in my chair. Sam was so weird. Cary was so   
weird. They made the perfect couple. I   
looked up quickly and stared at him suspiciously.   
"What diary?" I asked.   
A smug smile crossed Sam's face but he said nothing.  
"Sam, have you been reading my personal things?" I tried again.  
"Relax, it isn't like there's anything worth reading there. It's all boring.   
Although..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...I did like  
how you always wrote about Bart Taylor in your earlier entries."  
My eyes widened in anger and I started to hit Sam's shoulder. "How dare you?!" I   
asked.   
Sam laughed and held me back with one hand. "Cool it, Kristy."  
I sat back again and stewed in silence. After my fuming had lessened, Sam spoke   
up softly.  
"Charlie's coming back tomorrow. It'll be great to see him."  
"Yeah," I said smiling. "Yeah, it will." 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:  
  
  
  
  
My breath was heavy as I hopped off my bike and set it against the wall in our   
mansion's garage. Sweat rolled off of my skin,  
gluing my shirt to my back. Mary Anne and I had just gone bike riding around   
Stoneybrook all morning and now it was two o' clock  
in the afternoon. Dawn Schafer (Mary Anne's step sister and other best friend)   
and Charlie were flying in from California tonight.  
I needed to shower and get ready to go to the airport. I opened the door and was   
greeted by the cold air conditioning and I realized   
just how hot and humid it had gotten outside and it was only the second day of   
summer. Pulling off my hat and ponytail, I let my  
hair hang down. Over the year, I had grown it out so that now it was half way   
down my back and with just the slightest wave in  
it.   
Pulling my sweatshirt over my head, I tied it around my waist and examined my   
figure in the mirror. I'm still the shortest girl in  
school. My body body was still slim and muscular, but my chest had started to   
grow over the first few months of ninth grade, so   
that now I was a 36B. Not exactly the biggest bust size in the world, but still   
pretty pleasing, besides, mom buys me these bras  
that actually make my breasts look bigger.  
Suddenly, another figure appeared on the stairs in the mirror. I let out a   
scream and scrambled for my sweatshirt. The person  
on the stairs let out an embarrassed groaned and turned around, shielding his   
eyes in embarrassment.   
"CARY?!" I exclaimed, when I finally found my voice. "What are you doing here?"  
"Sam...Sam is borrowing my PS2. We were just playing a few games on it in his   
room." Cary replied to the wall.  
I cringed as I pulled my shirt back on. I don't usually strip around the house.   
But it was just so hot and I knew that no one was  
home. Well, THOUGHT. Watson and mom had taken all the kids to the plant nursery   
to pick out some new flowers for the   
garden. And who cared if my lazy leech of a brother saw me?  
Instead of saying anything to Cary, I stomped past him on the stairs and up to   
my room. I shut the door carefully behind  
me and leaned against it. My face was all red, I just knew it. My heart pounded   
deep in my chest and I heard footsteps outside  
in the hallway. I heard Sam asking Cary how to use the attack button and some   
more talk about videogames. Thankfully, Cary  
mentioned nothing about that episode downstairs. Sighing resignedly, I headed   
for my bathroom and stripped fully, not bothering  
to look at myself and stepped into my the shower and turned the water on.   
After I had shampooed and conditioned my hair, I turned the shower head off and   
wrapped myself in a towel. Stepping back into  
my bedroom, I rummaged through my drawer and pulled out a blue tank top and   
jeans. After I put on my bra and panties, I popped  
one of my new CDs into my player and listened to it as I finished dressing.   
Grabbing my black thong sandals out of my closet I   
slipped them on and started to brush my hair. Suddenly there was a knock on the   
door and I froze. There was another sharp   
knock on the door, more impatient this time.  
"Um...coming." I called as I headed for the door.   
Taking a deep breath, I pulled on the doorknob and saw Sam standing in front of   
me.   
"Oh." I said, letting out a breath I had been holding. "What do you want?"  
"Nothing." He replied. "Mom just called, she said that you should get ready.   
We're heading for the airport in a couple of hours."  
"Okay." I said. I tried to shut the door, but Sam held it open.   
"Hey, one more thing." He told me.  
"What?" I asked, sighing exasperatedly.   
"Cary's downstairs. He needs to ask you something." Sam replied.   
He turned around and started to his room.  
"Hey, Sam, wait." I said, stepping out. "What does he want?"  
"How should I know?" He asked. "Maybe he wants to ask you out."  
I frowned more at Sam's 'like-that-would-ever-happen' tone than the idea of Cary   
asking me out. But just hearing that from   
someone else's lips made me feel weird.   
Shaking my head, I started down to the formal living room. "You're such an   
idiot, Sam!"  
Upon entering the living room, I saw Cary sitting on the armchair that Watson   
usually sits in. I hadn't seen much of him the past  
year, Cary was a writer. A pretty good one. He was more or less hanging out with   
a bunch of people just like him. Maybe in the  
library or some other secluded place. Or else cracking jokes and laughing at the   
people around him.  
I leaned against the door frame and said in a gruff voice, "What do you want,   
Retlin?"  
Cary turned around and gave me a one of his trademark goofy grins. The one where   
his eyebrows lifted and arched so high into  
his forehead and made me--and everyone else--feel like they were under a   
microscope.   
"Hey Thomas!" He greeted. "Long time, no see, huh?"  
"Yeah, I guess so." I replied, feeling awkward. Not only had Cary seen a parts   
of me that no one but girls in the locker room   
had seen, he somehow made me feel even smaller than I was. It had always been   
that way, ever since the day Cary's family  
moved into the neighborhood.   
"So what is it that you need?" I asked as I sat down on the couch across from   
him.   
"Well, it's my parents who thought of it." Cary said. "See, they know that you   
have--used to have a baby-sitting club. They're  
going to visit my uncle and aunt in Darien tomorrow."  
"Uh-huh." I said, not quite sure what he was getting at. "And what does that   
have to do with me?"  
"I'm getting there." Cary said, looking at me strangely, his grin more   
infuriating than ever before. "I have to go to piano practice  
on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I need you to watch my two younger brothers for two   
hours on those days. My parents said they'll  
pay you for it."  
I sighed with relief. Was that all? Piece of cake.   
"Oh, well, no problem." I replied. "How long are they going to visit your   
relatives?"  
"For the first five weeks of summer--that's not too much trouble for a retired   
veteran such as yourself, is it Kristy?" Cary asked,   
smirking, his eyebrow cutting even higher on his forehead.  
"It'll be a piece of cake." I told him, snapping my fingers to elaborate.   
"Not chocolate, I hope." Cary replied. "Ben's allergic to it."  
Rolling my eyes, I picked up the TV's remote and started to flip through the   
channels.   
"So, do we have a deal?" He asked.  
"Sure." I said. "What time are your lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"  
"Ten o' clock in the morning every time." Cary replied instantly. "Ends at   
noon."  
"Great." I said, without looking at him.   
"You know where I live?" Cary asked, knowing full well that I did. In eighth   
grade, he and I were assigned a project in our   
English class to write a biography on each others lives. We each went to each   
other's houses and interviewed our family members.  
"I don't think it'll be TOO hard, Cary." I said.   
"Great." He slapped my back hard and I just managed not to groan.   
"Hey Sam, I'm leaving now!" Cary shouted up the stairs to Sam. "You're only   
borrowing it for a week."  
"Kay." Sam replied listlessly.   
Cary suppressed a laugh, shook his head, then turned around and headed for the   
door.  
"Thanks for leaving." I called like a good archrival should.   
"Thanks for the show." Cary shot back wickedly.  
I felt a hot blush flood my cheeks and I slowly peeked over the top of the   
couch. Cary was right behind me, grinning at me  
like the idiot that he was. I frowned deeply.   
"You're looking really good, Kristy." He teased. "Not nearly as scuzzy as I   
remember."  
I repressed the urge to stammer and held my nose in the air snootily. "I WISH I   
could say the the same for YOU."  
Cary let out a loud laugh, totally unaffected my comment. "See you later," He   
walked to the door and opened it. Before he left,  
he turned back and winked at me slyly. "I'd be careful about what I say, Kristy.   
You work for me now." He deepened his already  
low voice and said, "I OWN you."  
I scoffed a laugh and shook my head as Cary shut the door and headed down the   
steps of our veranda and down the driveway.  
He took a right at the end of the drive and cut through the wooded area in the   
back of my house. The woods in back run right  
past Cary's so he wouldn't need to walk as far as if he'd taken the road. What a   
jerk...cool, but a jerk. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:  
  
  
  
"And for our three-month anniversary he actually set up a picnic dinner at the   
beach!" Dawn Schafer, an old friend (and Mary Anne's  
step-sister) of mine gushed as we rode down the tree-lined street of   
Stoneybrook. "It was soooooo romantic! The waves crashing,  
the candlelight flickering in the wind and roses--can you believe it--roses!"   
"Yes, lovely." Mary Anne replied listlessly, tiring of the subject at hand for   
thirty minutes.   
"It's okay." I said. "You seem really serious about this guy."  
"I am." Dawn agreed. "Jason's wonderful. I think he may actually be the one."  
I looked at her strangely. How was that possible? They had only been going out   
for less than a year? And we were only   
fourteen, how could a person find their soul mate so early in life?   
"You mean, the one you want to MARRY?" I asked incredulously.  
"Yeah, I love him." Dawn said dreamily. "He's a junior in high school. He's even   
talked about us marrying right after I get out of  
school."  
Beside me, Mary Anne snorted in disgust. I looked to her but she was staring   
down at the road as she pedaled.   
"Wow. That must be...exciting." I said (and people say that I don't even try to   
be tactful).  
"It is." Dawn said sighing. "And you will not BELIEVE where he took me the night   
before the flight..."  
She began another story, not forgetting any details at all. I pretended to   
listen, nodding and mmhmm-ing at all the right places  
but honestly, I stopped listening halfway through. I was tired of all of her   
Dawn-and-Jason stories. I could tell by the depressed  
and bored expression on Mary Anne's face that she was more than exhausted of her   
sister's relationship as well.  
I looked down at my watch and my eyes widened. "Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "I   
gotta go!"  
"Go where?" both Mary Anne and Dawn asked me.  
"I have to baby-sit for Cary's little brothers." I told them as I started to   
turn around. "See you later!"  
" 'bye, Kristy!" They called before continuing on their way.  
As I rode back to McLellan Drive I wondered what it felt like to be in Dawn's   
shoes. To be so in love with someone you really  
didn't know all that well except for a few wonderful dates and romantic   
escapades. I had a boyfriend once I supposed, Bart Taylor,  
he wanted to get serious but I just wasn't ready. Now, with Dawn back, I   
wondered if I was really missing out on something. I   
thought about it as I rode to Cary's house and finally decided that I was better   
off without Bart mashing my teeth in during movies  
and groping me after softball practice.   
Pulling into Cary's driveway, I hopped off my bike and headed to the door. I   
rang the little diamond-shaped doorbell and   
waited for about five seconds before the door opened. I gasped audibly at the   
sight before me. Cary was standing there in neatly  
pressed slacks and a clean white shirt with a (gasp) tie, his hair was slicked   
back with gel and styled perfectly. He looked... well,  
different.   
"What?" He asked as I gaped at him for almost a minute.  
"Um... you look... interesting." I said.  
Cary snorted. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. I only dress like this for   
piano practice. Mr. Greber doesn't like it when his students  
show up looking like--as he says it--degenerate and immoral."  
"Whoa." I said as I followed him into his house. "Cary, I mean, you're style is   
a little grungy but I'd hardly call you degenerate...  
immoral."   
"Don't worry about that. Mr. Greber says that about everyone. He'd say that   
about the president's daughter if he had the chance."  
Cary moved towards the den and scooped up a bunch of papers to put into his   
backpack. "You've met my brothers before, right?"  
"Yes." I replied.  
"Good." He said. "But you're going to be stuck with them for two hours and they   
can get rambunctious at times."  
"I can handle it, I'm sure."  
"They play pranks like nobody's business." He continued.  
"Sounds like someone I know." I joked. "I think I can handle it."  
"And they know all the little hideaways of the house." Cary said.  
"Cary," I said firmly enough to make him look up at me. "I can handle it."  
Cary nodded slowly before saying, "Of course you can."  
With that, he turned to the stairs and gave a loud, piercing whistle. Moments   
later doors opened and closed and feet stomped   
a staccato rythym before two little boys, of about nine and seven, appeared in   
the den doorway.   
"Guys," Cary said as he put his backpack on. "You remember Kristy, right?"  
The two boys nodded but made no move to come forward.   
"I want you to be very good today. I don't want Kristy to be complaining about   
how horrid you guys were." Cary told them. "Derek,  
you know that itching powder that you have up in your room?"  
"Yeah," Derek said, a smile curling up on his lips.  
"And that wedge-y master 2000?" Cary continued.  
"Yeah," Derek said smiling widely now.  
"Don't use them today." Cary said abruptly.  
"Oh, okay." Derek said exasperatedly.  
Then Cary turned to the youngest one. "Benjamin."  
"Cary," Ben replied in his sly, seven-year-old way.  
"Why don't you let Kristy have those toy guns in your pocket?"   
Ben sighed before pulling a small purple water gun out from his pocket. Then he   
reached into his back pocket and pulled out   
another one. Unzipping a hidden side pocket on his lower leg, he revealed a Nerf   
mini-blaster. All in all he pulled out seven guns  
from his size 0 pants.  
Cary inspected him closely before sliding a finger into his shoe and felt   
around. Ben squirmed and giggled, I guessed he was very   
ticklish. Finally, Cary produced a small plastic round of bullets.  
"Here ya go." He said, tossing the packet to me.  
I stared at Ben for a moment before smiling. "I see we have a little police   
officer on our hands!"  
"No." Ben said. "Cary's the police man, I'm just--"  
"Well, I'd better be going!" Cary said loudly. "Thanks again, Kristy!"  
"No problem." I said. Or was it?  
  
  
"So you guys were on a gymnastics team when you were back in Illinois?" I asked   
as Ben bounced up and down on the   
trampoline in the Retlins basement.   
"Uh-huh." Ben replied, bouncing on his back then landing back on his feet.  
"Watch this, Kristy!" Derek said as he ran then executed a roundoff back   
handspring back tuck (note: the only reason I knew   
what they were doing was because they explained it all to me) then a double   
whipback.   
"Wow!" I exclaimed, generally impressed. "You are really good."  
Derek smiled at my praise before going off to the side and practicing the run   
one more time. Ben was still bouncing on the  
trampoline, every now and then doing a back tuck or somersault.   
"You know, Derek." I told him. "There's this girl, Mariah Perkins, she takes   
gymnastics here in Stoneybrook. Would you like  
to meet her? She's about your age."  
Derek stared at me for a moment as if I were joking. "A GIRL?!"   
I hid a smile as Ben stopped jumping and started cracking up. "Derek's got a   
girlfriend! Derek's got a girlfriend!" he chanted.  
"I do not!" Derek exclaimed in indignation and jumped up on the trampoline to   
wrestle with Ben.  
"Boys!" I yelled. "Stop it!"  
My scream fell upon deaf ears because Derek just continued punching at his   
little brother. Ben was no better, he kicked at Derek's  
stomach and elbowed him in the face. I took a deep breath, put both my fingers   
in my mouth and let out my loudest whistle I had.  
Derek stopped in mid-punch and Ben managed in one last kick before I pulled the   
two apart.   
"That's quite enough of that." I told them both. "Why don't we go up to the rec   
room and watch a movie or something?"  
"Okay!" Ben exclaimed, pushing his brother away and dashed up the stairs.  
I helped Derek down and then as we walked up the stairs I looked down at him.   
"Why were you so upset when I mentioned  
Mariah?"  
"Because I already know her and she's the ugliest, stupidest, most horrible girl   
I've ever met!" He said.  
I paused a beat before I smiled. "So you like her."  
Derek looked down at his feet and frowned. "A little." Then he looked back up at   
me, his eyes flashing. "But she doesn't like  
me so it doesn't make a difference."  
I suppressed a laugh. "Maybe she just doesn't know you that well. Mariah's a   
very nice girl, and you're a very nice boy and  
I'm sure that if you got to know her then you'd hit it off and can become   
friends."  
"I don't think so." Derek said softly.  
"Cheer up." I told him. "Everything will work out."  
We headed for the rec room where Ben had thrown open the entertainment system   
and movie collection. After a brief debate  
we decided to watch the DVD Waterworld with Kevin Costner. I'd never watched it   
before but it looked boring. But the boys  
were really enthusiastic about it so I decided to give it a try. As it turned   
out, Waterworld was pretty interesting. It took place  
in the future when the polar ice caps melted, covering the earth with water and   
people adapted and made a living by bartering and  
fishing. Kevin Costner played someone called a mariner who helped Enola and   
Helen find the mythical 'dry land'.  
I got really caught up in the action towards the ending when the mariner boarded   
the ship of Deacon (the bad guy) to save little  
Enola that I didn't notice Cary sneak up behind me and yell, 'BOO!'  
I let out a scream just as Enola was explaining to Deacon's side kick that   
mariner was a sneak who could come up behind you  
and you wouldn't even know it. Talk about irony.  
"Hey Kristy." Cary said laughing loudly.  
"Hello." I replied icily. "Is it noon already?"  
"Yup." He said, hopping onto the couch beside Ben. "Watching this again?"  
"SHHH!" Ben and Derek hushed him without taking their eyes off the screen.   
Cary rolled his eyes and laid his head back against the couch. "It never ends."   
He mumbled to me.  
I smiled before standing up. "Well, I guess if you're back already--"  
"Oh no, why don't you just stick around and finish the movie?" He suggested. "I   
mean, you seem pretty interested."  
I shrugged then sat back until the ending, which by the way, was NOT what I had   
in mind and I was slightly disappointed while  
Ben put the disk away.   
Cary sent the boys into the kitchen and asked if I wanted to stick around for   
lunch, I gratiously turned it down, explaining that  
I had to help mom shop for groceries for a special dinner we were making for   
Charlie that night.  
"Oh cool." He replied as he paid me.  
"Yeah, only when mom goes all out it usually means I have to wear a dress." I   
said rolling my eyes.  
"A dress." Cary said, raising an eyebrow. "That should be... interesting. I   
can't wait to see that."  
I paused and looked at him, puzzled. "What--"  
"Sam and your mother invited me yesterday." He said smiling smuggly.  
I tensed a little, why was it that Cary let you go on and on talking and   
explaining to him when he already knew about it?   
"Yeah, well, see you there." I said. "But don't count on me wearing a dress."  
"I'd settle for you wearing a top." Cary said slyly.  
I didn't skip a beat. "Cary... let it go. Get a hobby, make some friends." 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four:  
  
  
  
"Kristy, is THAT what you're going to wear tonight?" Mom asked me that night as   
I came down the stairs dressed in a turtle   
neck and jeans. I wasn't even wearing sneakers. No way was I going to wear a   
dress in front of Cary.  
"Mom, it's just a dinner. We've had them before." I said smiling.  
"But this is different." Mom said, fluffing the centerpiece of freshly picked   
flowers Watson and Nannie had picked that afternoon.  
"It's Charlie's first dinner back and I want it to be memorable, special--ur,   
formal." Mom put a special interest on the word 'formal',  
deliberately turning away from my reaction.  
Formal meant dresses. At least for me. I groaned loudly. "But mo-om! It's just   
dinner! And it's only Charlie! I don't wear  
dresses for brothers!"  
"Well, I feel special."   
I whirled around and saw Charlie coming down the stairs.  
"Sorry Charlie," I said more gently. "but I can't stand dresses."  
"Well, I hate ties. What's your point?" He said. "You should make a sacrifice   
and wear a dress--ur, not that it would help."  
In the end, I was sent back up to my room to change. Throwing my closet door   
open I rifled through my wardrobe. I dug  
all the way to the very back and found one of the few dresses that I had. It was   
a red, double spaghetti strap dress with rhinestones  
lining the straps and hem. Changing out of my clothes I slipped into the dress   
and noticed for the first time that it came all the way  
up to mid-thigh. Pulling my hair our of it's usual ponytail I brushed it down   
and parted it at the side, opening a porcelain music/jewelry  
box I pulled out a pair of diamond teddy bears with ruby eyes. I clipped each   
side of my hair as best I could before pulling out  
red heels that mom had bought to match my dress. She wanted formal, I'd give her   
formal.  
Feeling angered by Charlie's comment, I even went so far as to put on some lip   
gloss (the only make up I owned) and sprayed  
some BodyWorks perfume on. Checking myself out in the full-length mirror I   
realized that I didn't look half bad. Okay, this was  
it. This get up was going to last me until Christmas. I went downstairs once   
again and saw Ben and Derek playing with David Michael  
Ben and Derek were wearing nice clean slacks and Hawaiian print shirts, they   
cleaned up almost as well as Cary did.  
Speaking of Cary... I heard him talking with my mother in the dining room. My   
heels clicked on the tiled floor and I peered into   
the room and saw him helping mom set up the placemats and silverware.  
"Chicago seems like a very interesting place." Mom was saying. "Watson and I may   
take the family there one day."  
At that moment she looked up at me and smiled. "Much better! Is that the dress I   
bought you last fall?"  
I nodded and stepped forward. "Well, you look wonderful, thank you. Would you be   
a dear and help Cary out with the table."  
"Sure mom." I replied as she dashed toward the kitchen to help Watson with the   
dinner.  
"Well, well, well, Kristin." Cary said as I stood across from him and started   
laying out the forks and spoons. "You clean up   
pretty well."  
"So do you." I replied nonchalantly, gently setting the fork down. I normally   
don't like it when we use the dining room because  
the table is so huge and I always get stuck setting the dishes and whatnot.   
A few minutes went by in silence before I fumbled and dropped a fork. I leaned   
over to pick it up on the other side. I guess  
mom never guessed how low cut the dress was because it went WAY low and showed   
the cleft between my breasts. Looking up,  
I saw Cary looking at me with interest and curiosity.  
"What?" I asked, setting the fork down.  
Cary shook his head and turned his head away. "Nothing."  
A slow blush crept up my cheeks but I tried to appear uninterested. "It's   
something."  
"No it isn't." He said.  
"Yes it is--you were oogling." I replied.  
"I was WHAT?" Cary asked, laughing incredulouly. Without waiting for my reply,   
he barged on. "You have nothing to oogle at."  
I snorted loudly and shook my head. "Whatever Cary."  
  
  
"Ahem, attention all." Watson called above the noise on the table.  
"Are there lots of classrooms there?" Karen asked Charlie.  
"More than at SES, that's for sure." Charlie said playfully ruffling Karen's   
hair.  
"Excuse me." Watson tried again.  
Deciding to give him and mom a break, I put my fingers in my mouth and gave a   
whistle that silenced everybody.  
"Thank you, Kristy." Watson and mom said gratefully.  
"First of all," Watson said, clearing his throat and stood up. "Charlie, your   
mother and I want you to know how proud we are   
of you for finishing your first year in college with the highest G.P.A in the   
entire class."   
We all applauded appreciatively and Charlie stood and took an exaggerated bow.   
When we subsided, mom took Watson's hand  
and continued, "And second of all, we realize how hard it must be for you to get   
around in California since you left and gave Sam  
your car--"  
"Ah, the Junk Bucket." Charlie said fondly. "It's funny but Sam seems to take   
better care of it than I ever did."  
"I'm just more handy around cars, is all." Sam said, punching Charlie's   
shoulder.  
Mom let out a laugh which could have been covering a sob of happiness to see her   
family getting along so well.   
"And we know how much of a hassle it can be to wait for a bus all the time... so   
we've decided. Charlie, we're going to get you  
a new car to use."  
The entire table was silent, you could hear the Kilbournes' dog barking down the   
street. I turned to see Charlie's reaction and to  
my surprise his face was blank. Suddenly little spots of pink formed on his nose   
and his eyes watered up. Charlie was going to  
cry? How often did that happen?   
"Oh mom, dad, you guys..." He hid his face in his hands and leaned over to   
suppress his sniffles. "You guys didn't have to do  
that for... for me..."  
"We wanted to." Watson said. I could tell that they were pleased with Charlie's   
reaction.  
With that, Charlie began to sob, tears more out of accomplishment and happiness   
rather than sadness. I reached over and  
patted his hand with my own. "Don't cry, Charlie."   
"That's right." Sam agreed. "This is a GOOD thing."  
"Get a Hummer." Cary said in a ridiculous voice that made Charlie and all of us   
laugh.  
"I don't know how to thank you both." Charlie told mom and Watson.  
"Just keep up the good work." They replied.  
After more excited chatter about what Charlie would get, we picked up more   
mundane conversation and I saw mom gaze  
tearfully at Watson and laid her head on his shoulders as he held her silently.   
I just barely managed not to gag. I speared a piece  
of French bread with my fork and dipped it into the big pot of cheese fondue in   
front of me.  
"Your brother sure is lucky." Cary commented to me. "A car, wow."  
"Tell me about it." I replied.  
Cary picked up his own fork and speared one of the bread pieces on his plate.   
"Great food, Mr. and Mrs. Brewer." He said,  
dipping his bread in and tapping it against the side of the pot. The bread   
slipped off and fell into the melted, gooey cheese. "Oops."   
He said, chuckling. He didn't seem to notice how still and quiet everyone had   
gotten. Then they turned their attention to me. I   
looked at Cary and realized something. Dropping my fork, I shrank away from him.   
Across from me, David Michael grinned wickedly  
like the little creep that he was. Suddenly the table burst into a frenzy of   
noise.  
"Ooooh..." He jeered maliciously.   
"Ewww! yucky! Sick!" Karen exclaimed, her hands flying to her cheeks like   
Macauli Cullkin in Home Alone.  
"Cary dropped his bread! Cary dropped his bread!"" Andrew chanted.  
"What?" Derek asked, wide-eyed.  
"Cary dropped his bread!" Andrew repeated like a broken record.  
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Emily Michelle sang loudly.  
Ben whimpered and huddled next to Derek, afraid that all the kids at my house   
had decided to go crazy all at once.  
"Karen, Andrew, David Michael! That is quite enough!" Watson yelled over their   
noise. After a millisecond of deafening silence,  
Sam and Charlie let out loud snorts.  
"What's wrong?" Cary asked, going pale that he might have broken some ettiquette   
rule of thumb.   
"It's nothing, Cary," Mom said gently, trying to look stern but with a youthful   
laughter in her eyes. "Just a fun little rule we have   
around the house."  
"Rule?"  
Watson jumped in with the explanation. When he and mom started dating, he once   
made fondue for all of us, it was pretty good,  
but he had this one particular rule that he thought always spiced up a family   
dinner. If you dropped your bread in the fondue pot,  
you'd have to kiss the person on your right's cheek. We all made up our own   
street rules, but about halfway through dinner, guess  
you dropped her bread in the pot? And guess who was on my right? Yes, Watson   
himself. That was pretty embarrassing but now  
that I think about it, it was kind of fun.   
After he was done telling Cary about it, Cary turned to me, his eyes wide. How   
mortifying! I was on Cary's right. He looked  
at everyone to see if they were joking. Sam crossed his eyes, stuck out his   
tongue and wagged it around, imitating a French kiss.  
Luckily our parents did him see him. Cary then cleared his throat and leaned   
towards me. I froze in my seat and couldn't move.  
Cary would never let me live this down. Never. Oh WHY did my family insist on   
making these ridiculous rules?!  
I expected Cary to make the kiss as quick and painless as possible but I felt a   
pleasant shock as his lips brushed against the  
surface of my cheek then kissed it for a brief two seconds before he broke away,   
his face the color of a pomegrante. My brothers  
were cracking up. Karen was gazing dreamily at Derek (who was on HER right),   
Andrew was pretending to puke, Mom and Watson  
were looking as if this were the sweetest thing on earth. I could probably guess   
that at that moment my face was as red as my dress  
and my eyes matched that of the fiery rubies on the teddy bear pins.  
  
After that, dinner past rather uneventfully except that Derek was extra careful   
and paranoid. He even asked us what the penalty  
was for chewing your food only 34 times instead of 35, to which David Michael   
said that you had to marry the person. I could have  
killed him. Now it was close to eight-thirty and I was sitting in the library,   
brooding over my favorite brooding book 'Catcher in the Rye'.  
The kids were playing in the toy room (Karen was terrifying Ben with the story   
of Ben Brewer; the ghost of Watson's great great  
great grandfather who haunts the third floor). Charlie and Sam were playing   
videogames with Cary and mom and Watson decided  
to go to bed early.  
From somewhere in the house I heard piano music, Nannie loves listening to   
classical music, I figured that she was listening to  
a CD or something. I suddenly wanted to talk to her about that whole incident   
downstairs in the dining room. Getting up, I headed  
for her room but the music wasn't coming from there. She wasn't even in there.   
Following the sounds of Beethoven I ended up  
outside the drawing room.  
Upon peeking inside, I saw Cary sitting at Watson's grand piano playing a piece   
from memory. Around him the whole family  
was strewn about on the sofas and Chippendale wing chairs. They were all staring   
in rapt amazement as Cary's expression grew  
more and more intense. I couldn't blame them. Cary was good, he was very good.   
In band class, people played Beethoven all  
the time, but no where near Cary's skill level. None of them ever played with so   
much feeling--not to mention without sheet music.  
As the notes drifted by me I felt numb and my legs grew weak and I couldn't move   
to sit, I was frozen at my spot in the doorway.  
Cary played on to a powerful climax and I suddenly saw something new in him. He   
was...pretty attractive... I never took the time  
to notice the little things about him. I was always so infuriated by the   
self-satisfying grins he had that I never knew that he looked  
incredibly sexy when his dirty blonde hair fell over his eyes creating a dark,   
esoteric look. There was a round of applause as Cary finished  
playing.  
"Cary, that was beautiful." mom commented. "how many years have you been   
playing?"  
"Since I was four, Mrs. Brewer." Cary replied, undoing his tie.   
"Well, that was just wonderful."  
"Awesome." Charlie agreed.  
"Thank you." Cary told them.  
He ran his fingers along the keys and looked up, "Anyone have any requests?" he   
saw me and grinned. "Kristin?"  
His brown eyes locked with mine and made me jump. "Um..." I looked down and   
twittled my thumbs, trying to remain calm and  
stop the jumping beans in my stomach. "......Choppin."  
Cary raised an eyebrow, bravely accepting my challenge. "Choppin, eh? Great." He   
said, straightening up and cracking his knuckles.  
I walked over to an empty settee and sat down to listen. After a few moments of   
preparation, Cary began. He seemed to forget  
where he was as his fingers drifted over the keys and played a beautiful melody.   
His performance was so powerful that it made  
my heart thump wildly in my chest and I leaned against the chair, weak.  
From somewhere deep in my mush turned brain, I felt little germs of reality chew   
through. What was happening? Why was I  
feeling this way about Cary? I hated him, despised him. If we were stuck on a   
deserted island together in shark-infested waters,  
I'd take my chance with Jaws than stay with Jabber. We'd been enemies for so   
long that an hour couldn't possibly change that.  
Could it? 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter five:  
  
  
  
"Oh, Ben, please open the door!" I pleaded through the closed (and locked)   
bedroom door.  
"NO!" Ben replied sullenly back at me.  
"Why are you so angry?" I asked him.  
"Because you don't want to baby-sit for Derek and me no more." Ben exclaimed,   
wounded.  
"What are you talking about? I love baby-sitting for you two!" I told him. "It's   
just that your mommy and daddy are coming   
back tomorrow. Don't you want to see them?"  
There was no answer and I let out a heavy breath that lifted my bangs away from   
my face.   
"Did he unlock the door?" Cary asked as he returned from the garage.  
"No." I said dismally. "He's stopped talking."  
"Great." Cary said rolling his eyes. "Step aside, Watson."   
I did what he said and Cary started to fiddle with the lock on Ben's door. After   
about seven seconds, the door flew open and   
Cary headed in.  
"What seems to be the problem here?" He asked.  
No answer.  
"Ben?" I asked, peeking into the room.  
Ben was lying down on his bed, glaring up at the ceiling. "Go away."  
I looked at Cary who just shrugged. I motioned for him to give me a few minutes   
and Cary left.   
"Ben, why are you so angry?" I asked innocently.   
"Because..." He replied as if this explained everything.  
"Because...why?" I asked him.   
"Because you don't like me anymore." He said, hurt.  
"Ben, I'm hurt." I told him, sitting down beside him. "I've taken care of you   
two times a week for a month. I've played games with  
you, watched TV with you and I cleaned up your barf last week when you had the   
flu..." I shook my head in mock disappointment. "And  
you say that I don't like you?"  
Ben looked down at his hands and mumbled, "But you won't babysit for me   
anymore."  
"Who said that?" I asked, surprised. "I only said that I won't baby-sit for you   
REGULARLY anymore. Your parents are coming  
back tomorrow and now THEY'LL be able to take care of you. Wouldn't that be   
better than just a baby-sitter? Hmm?"   
He made a move to shift away from me, but I pulled him into my lap. "Wouldn't   
you rather have your own mommy reading you  
stories? Your own daddy taking you places?"  
He squirmed around a little before he looked up at me. "...I guess so."  
"I know I would." I told him. "I'll still be able to take care of you whenever   
your parents or brother can't."  
"Really?" He asked.  
"Sure." I said.   
Ben was still for what seemed like ten minutes before he gave me a hug. "I miss   
my mommy and daddy."  
"I know."  
"Great." I looked at the clock. "I have to go now."  
"Okay." He said. "Bye Kristy."  
"Bye Ben."   
I waved good-bye and headed down the stairs. Cary was sitting on the bottom step   
and he looked up when I came down.  
"So... how is he?" He asked.  
"He's okay now." I told him. "I think that he misses your parents."  
"Yeah... he's never been separated from them." Cary explained. "I guess you just   
made it easier on him by being here."  
I nodded. "Well, I guess I'll see you around. I have to be going."  
"Hey, Kristy." Cary said, standing up and making a move to follow me.  
"Yes?" I asked, turning back to him.  
"I... um... I just..." He stammered. "I mean..."  
"Yes?" I repeated, trying to get him to spit it out.  
"I... I... maybe I'll just come with you really quick... I mean, just to get my   
PlayStation back from Sam."   
"Oh, yeah, you never got it back from him, did you?" I asked. "Okay... will the   
boys be okay?"  
Cary nodded confidently, "Of course they can," He said, dismissing my worries   
with a carefree wave. "they're Retlins."  
On the way out, Cary told Derek that he'd be right back.   
"You have such wonderful little brothers." I commented as Cary followed me out.  
"You don't stay with them as much as I do." He told me wearily.  
"Oh, come on... in a way, they remind me of you." I said.  
"Oh?" Cary said, arching an eyebrow. "How so?"  
"Well, funny, sarcastic, witty..." I counted off a list on my fingers. "...and   
sweeter than they'd care to let on."   
Before his head could get bigger, I barged on with my sudden human mode towards   
him, "Did Derek ever tell you about this  
crush that he had on--"  
"Mariah Perkins?" Cary cut in. "Yeah, who is she?"  
"She's this little girl--about his age, I should say--that goes to his school.   
She lives in my old house on Bradford Court." I said.  
"He's mentioned her, once or twice, but it's not like I could help him." Cary   
said, looking at me.   
The branches and twigs snapped under our feet as we walked on. A squirrel   
scurried up a tree and I smiled.   
"Hey, um... Kristy?" Cary spoke up.   
I turned back to him. "Yes?"  
"I... um..." he slipped back into that darned stammering mode again. "I was   
wondering..."  
"Yes?" I pressed on.  
"...Where are you going today?" he asked.  
I frowned slightly. "Just to the pool with Mary Anne, Stacey, Claudia and Dawn."  
"Oh... is Claudia still with Alan?" He asked.  
"Um... yeah. Isn't he a friend of yours?" I asked back.  
"Yeah, he is. But he hasn't been around lately. My guess is he was just always   
with Claudia." He said. "I guess I was right."  
I broke into a run and leapt over the white picket fence that surrounded our   
house. I gazed over and shrugged at Cary.  
"What are you waiting for, Retlin?" I asked, leaning back on my left leg, my   
hands on my hips.  
Cary grinned before breaking into a run before executing, what Derek called, a   
handspring and then a full-twisting layout that took  
him over the fence.   
"Thank you, thank you," Cary said, bowing as if in front of an audience of   
thousands.  
"Don't get such a big head, your landing was no where near properly performed."   
I said airily. "So, you were on a gymnastics team  
in Illinois, too, huh?"  
"No, I just went to all of Derek and Ben's meets." He said, punching my   
shoulder. "I'm a quick learner."  
I shook my head and headed up to the house. "Sam's not home, he's at a friend's.   
That should make it easier to take it back."  
"I'll say. Why don't you get your own?" Cary teased.  
"Sam would have to--God forbid-- get a job."  
"Wow, I'm lucky, dad said that I won't have to get a job until I'm   
seventeen--providing that I help dad around the shop."   
"You're dad's a locksmith, right?" I asked.  
"Yup."  
"Well, that explains it." I said. "I mean, the lockers and everything. I see   
that you've been teaching Sam some of your tricks."  
"Not to insult you, Kristy, but the things you write in your journals about   
are... a bit mundane."  
"Oh, and I suppose that you'd show me a thing or two about interesting." I said   
as I opened the door.  
"With my complications, naturally." Cary said, winking at me and started up the   
stairs.  
I watched him go up before shaking myself out of a daze. I couldn't stop   
thinking about that night when he kissed me. Over  
the past few weeks, whether he was near or not, I felt my heart flutter like   
butterfly wings in my chest whenever I thought about him.  
Sometimes I laid in bed for hours just wondering what he was doing and what he   
was thinking about, then I hit myself a couple of  
times to knock some sense back into me. This was Cary--Cary! The guy who caused   
my friends and I so much grief when he  
and the Mischief Knights challenged us to a mystery war. Cary, the one who   
refused to cooperate when we had to work together  
in gym class. I couldn't love a loathed enemy, as Juliet once said in   
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I couldn't even LIKE one.  
Could I?  
Oh well, now that the job was over, I wouldn't have to see him as often and I   
could let this little phase outgrow itself. Cary  
came out of Sam's room, his game in hand.  
"Thanks Kristy." he said.   
"Okay." I said, hoping he wouldn't see anything unusual in my face.  
Cary was halfway to the door, when for the millionth time that day, he turned   
back to me after some thought. "Hey, um, Kristy?"  
"YES?" I asked, cutting the word into two syllables.   
"Well... I was just wondering..." He stalled, noticing the stress in my voice.   
"You see... I've been thinking..." He paused, seeming  
to search for something as if he forgot. ".......Did you ever watch 'Black Hawk   
Down' yet?"  
"Yes." I said. I had. My friends and I had gone just last week.  
"Oh." Cary said, sounding disappointed.  
He started to turn away, when I spoke up.  
"But, Cary," I called.   
He turned back.  
"If you're really into watching war movies lately, I haven't watched 'We Were   
Soldiers'." I said.  
Cary's expression lifted and he shifted his PS2 under his arm. "Well, um,   
great... I hear that's pretty good. Would you... like to  
go and see it?"  
"Sure. I think Mel Gibson is great in it--but then again, he's always great in   
those war movies--isn't he?"  
"Definitely." Cary said. "well, we've established that you'd like to see 'We   
Were Soldiers'. Now, would you like to see it with...  
with... me?"  
"With YOU?" I asked, as if the thought had never crossed my mind. It had. About   
twice every five seconds since Cary brought  
up 'Black Hawk'.   
I considered this for a couple of seconds. Go to the movies with Cary? He'd   
probably put too much salt in my popcorn. Coat  
my Milk Duds with hot sauce. Spill my drink all over the guy in front of me,   
complaining loudly that I 'had a drinking problem'. But...  
then again... he might make fun comments on the actors. We might have a good   
time... I'd have to see for myself.  
"Sure... why not?" I asked.  
"Really? You'll go?" He asked, surprised.  
"Yes. I would. It could be fun."  
Cary examined my face, as if I were joking and not taking him seriously, then he   
grinned. "Great... great... um, great."  
I nodded. "So... when?"  
"How... how about tomorrow? I mean, my parents will be back by then and um... I   
won't have to bring my brothers. We'll be  
able to enjoy the movie."  
"Great..." I said, smiling.  
I couldn't believe it. I had a date with...  
  
  
"Cary Retlin?!" Stacey exclaimed later as I told my friends about what happened.   
"You're going out with that jerk?"  
"He's not a jerk. He's just... different." I said, flippantly. "Besides, it's   
not like we're going out. It's just a movie."  
"A movie." Dawn repeated. "But a movie can be very romantic. Did I ever tell you   
about the time Jason--"  
"You haven't told them, but you told me." Mary Anne interrupted. "And it's a   
boring story. I don't want to hear it and I'm sure  
no one else does either."  
We all stopped and turned to look at her. Mary Anne had been touchy lately. But   
never that flat out mean. Dawn looked more  
shocked than everyone else.  
"Mary Anne?" Dawn asked.  
"Oh fine, go ahead and tell them. But don't expect so much. We don't all have   
wonderful boyfriends like yours."   
She stood up and started away to the bathrooms.  
"Boy... has she changed." Claudia whispered. "What do you think is wrong with   
her?"  
"I'm not sure." Dawn said, wounded. "She's been like that a lot lately. I'm not   
sure if it's me or... or what."  
We were all very quiet until Mary Anne came back. At that time, Stacey spoke up,   
"Oh my Lord, what are you going to wear?" 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six:  
  
  
  
  
"Mom, I'm heading out." I called as I slung my pack over my shoulder and started   
to leave.   
"Great, Kristy. Where are you going?" She asked from the library.  
"Oh, just to the movies with... a friend..." I said nonchalantly. "I'll be back   
before it gets too late."  
"Oh, wait, Kristy." Mom said, suddenly appearing. "After your done, do you think   
that you could stop by the store and get a   
carton of milk? Just on your way back?"  
"Sure mom." I said shifting from one foot to another. "I... I can do that."  
"Good." She said, then paused and looked at me with a soft smile on her face.   
"You look nice."  
"Thanks mom." I said, gazing down at my outfit. I was wearing a white tank vest   
with eyelet material and blue denim shorts with  
flowery designs along the edges of the pockets and hemline. She's always happy   
when I steer in a different direction from jeans  
and sweatshirts.   
"Well... I'd better be going. The movie starts in an hour." I said, shrugging   
and backing away towards the door.   
"Okay. Have a good time." Mom said.  
"I will. Thanks." I said. I opened the door and hurried out. Breathing a sigh of   
relief I got my bike and started off towards Cary's  
house. On the way there, I ran into Cary.  
"Hey there." He greeted as I turned around to ride next to him.  
"Hi." I said. "How was your morning?"  
"Not too relaxing." Cary said. "For some reason he wanted me to take him down to   
the gym to sign up for those gymnastics classes."  
"Oh... well, I think I might have been responsible for that one." I told him. I   
explained that Mariah took classes there and that  
might have been a motive for Derek to join it.  
Cary shook his head in disbelief. "Boy, he sure has it bad."  
"I know he does. I feel kind of bad for him. He's been telling me how she   
doesn't give him the time of day and he has no idea   
about how to talk to her." I said.  
As we rode, we talked about what we'd been up to the past year. Cary had his   
piano lessons, creative writing groups and mostly  
just keeping life from being boring and uninteresting. I told him about the   
softball team, the Krushers (a softball team that I coach  
for little kids) and I even found the courage to tell him about my father's   
wedding the previous summer.  
"And Sam was falling all over himself to talk to some guy who left you while you   
were kids?" Cary asked incredulously. "I've  
never seen him do that. Not even for a girl."  
"I guess, deep down, he really wanted Patrick to become close to him." I shook   
my head and laughed. "Charlie was precisely the  
opposite. He went out of his way to stay AWAY from Patrick."  
"You call your father Patrick?" Cary asked, looking at me oddly.  
"Yeah, I don't feel comfortable calling him my father anymore." I said, looking   
down at the pavement.   
Cary looked thoughtful before looking at me with sympathy (which I hated). "I   
don't know how I could ever call my dad by  
his first name."  
"Well, your father is still with you and family." I explained. "You're always   
going to have that security with you where ever you go."  
Cary nodded as if I had made some ground-breaking, earth-stopping comment.   
"You're right."  
"I always am." I said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. I didn't want the   
date... or... whatever it was to start off sour. I looked  
at what he was wearing and decided that it was an improvement. He wasn't wearing   
those tie-dye shirts but he wasn't dressed  
up to the nine either. He was normal, wearing denim jeans and a neat red   
Hawaiian print shirt.  
"Does your family travel a lot?" I asked.  
"What?" He replied.  
"You have a lot of Hawaiian shirts and souvenirs from all over in your house." I   
said.  
"Oh. Well, not really. I mean, my brothers and I don't. Every now and then mom   
and dad travel to visit relatives or spend their  
anniversaries in some part of the world. My mom's a travel agent so it's real   
easy for them." he explained.  
"Don't they ever take you guys along?" I asked him.  
"Naw, not really. Only when it really counts. Christmas, summer vacations, that   
sort of thing. But they mostly go alone." Cary  
said. "They have anniversaries for everything. The first date, first kiss,   
weddings, first time they made lo--" Cary suddenly cut  
himself off.  
I looked up at him curiously, wondering what made him stop. "First time they   
made what?" I pressed.  
"I just realized that I can't say that. Actually, I'm not really supposed to   
know about that stuff." Cary said grinning at me good-humoredly.  
"Oh." I looked down at the ground and blushed lightly.  
The first time they made love. That was what he was going to say. We kept the   
conversation light and out of our families up until  
we got to the theater. We got in line to buy our tickets and stared at all the   
posters of present movies and soon to come features.  
Once we got our tickets, we went inside and got some popcorn and drinks before   
going into the theater and finding our seats.  
As we sat down, Cary motioned to a couple in front of us that were locked in a   
passionate embrace and kissing rather intensely.  
"Alan and I used to do this all the time." He whispered, taking a few pieces of   
popcorn out of his bag.   
"Cary--" I whispered harshly, but he silenced me by holding up a finger.   
"No, no, no, it's really cool. Just watch." He looked at me before tossing the   
popcorn onto the couple. The popcorn stuck to  
the girl's hair, but neither of them seemed to notice.   
I looked away, trying my hardest to think of him as childish and immature, but   
what he did WAS pretty funny. In a strange way.  
We each took turns flinging popcorn at the couple who--amazingly--were oblivious   
to everything around them. It was hilarious,  
they looked like Christmas trees with chains of popcorn and kernels hanging from   
them. Okay, so it was mean, but... Just then,  
the lights dimmed and the previews started. We saw a lot of trailors,   
particularly for A Walk to Remember, The Mothman Prophecies,  
and Crossroads, the movie that Britney Spears was in. As the trailor for   
Crossroads played, a look of growing disgust appeared  
on Cary's face and afterwards he complained to me, "God, I HATE her."  
There was loud laughter from all around us and Cary realized that people had   
heard what he said--and most of them agreed  
with his opinion. I hid a smile as Cary stood and took a bow then sat down,   
trying to appear cool.   
"Are movies with you always this eventful?" I asked, taking a sip from my large   
7UP.  
"You should have seen me when Sam and I went to watch America's Sweethearts." He   
said. "My cousin, Samantha had asked  
Sam out when she came to visit. Sam had no idea how to turn her down--the nice   
guy that he is--" I snorted loudly "--so he begged  
me to come along with them and sit in the back to keep them from getting   
too...um, friendly."  
"I'll bet you had no trouble with that." I commented.  
As the movie started, the couple broke apart and realized that they had popcorn   
all over them. Cary and I shared a glance  
before stifling our laughter. How was the movie? Well, brilliant, is only one   
way to describe it. Mel Gibson is one of my very   
favorite actors, I love all of his movies and this was no exception. I never cry   
during movies, that just isn't my style, but at the end  
of this one (and during several parts throughout) I was weeping, my face wet   
with tears. Cary looked over me as I sobbed into  
my popcorn bag, he had tears in his eyes as well, but was determined not to show   
it. Just to show how 'macho' he was he  
grunted and stood up to stretch. "Well, that just SUCKED." At that, all the   
women around us sobbed uncontrollably, one lady  
even hit him with her handbag as she passed by. "Insensitive jerk." she mumbled.  
Cary's eyes were wide and he stared at me. "See the trouble you've caused?"  
Shaking my head I stood up. "Come on, let's go."   
Cary nodded and we left to get our bikes out of the bike rack.   
"What did you REALLY think about the movie?" I asked.  
"Honestly? It was awesome." Cary said, as we rode off. "Do you want to get   
something to eat? Myself, I'm starved."  
"Sure." I said. I could go for something to eat.   
"Why don't we go to the new Chinese restaurant by the mall?" Cary suggested and   
I agreed.  
Hey, the movie turned out okay, the restaurant couldn't be much worse.  
  
  
"So, that's how the Baby-sitters' Club was formed." I said as we rode home.   
"Wow..." Cary said. "I just... wow."  
"Of course things were much more simpler before you came along." I said   
teasingly. "You and your Mischeif Knights gave us  
more than our share of troubles."  
"Well, we try." Cary said, grinning. "But I haven't been all trials and   
tribulations for you, have I Kristin? I mean, there was that  
time that I did that autobiography on you."  
"Yeah."  
"And the time that I helped Mary Anne get revenge on Cokie."  
"You weren't the only one." I challenged.  
"And the time I opened Alan Gray's locker for Claudia when she left that note in   
there." Cary said, ticking off the list with his  
fingers. "What happened there, anyway?"  
I looked at him and explained how Claudia had a huge crush on Jeremy Rudolph   
(who was dating Stacey at the time) and   
decided to tell him how she felt. She couldn't do it face to face, so she   
decided to write a note. But instead of slipping it into  
Jeremy's locker, she put it into Alan Gray's The Scum of the Eight Grade.  
"Claudia looked like she swallowed a fly." I said, laughing at the memory. "She   
even wanted me to get some dynamite to see if  
I could open it. Then I told her that you could probably open it."  
Cary stared at me, opened mouthed at my long-winded description. Then he put on   
a Cuban accent, "Gee, Lucy, do you think  
we can pull it off?"  
I laughed at his impression of Desi Arnez.   
"That's a goo' one." I said.   
We stopped in front of my house and Cary followed me up to the front porch.   
"Well, this was... interesting." I said as he leaned against the railing.  
"Interesting?" Cary repeated. "Interesting as in, appealing, lively...fun?"   
"Yes, fun." I agreed, smiling. "It was fun, Cary. It was... actually better than   
I expected."  
"Really?" He asked.  
"Yeah, really." I sighed. "At least I didn't have to wear a dress."  
Cary laughed, really roared and I allowed him the satisfaction of a small   
chuckle.   
"You know, Kristy, you really do look better in a dress." He said.  
"You should take a picture, it'll last longer." I said.  
"No, seriously." He insisted, stepping up to me. "You look really, pretty... I   
mean, all dolled up and not as crappy as you are  
when you're in gym class."  
"Oh, I bet you say that to ALL the girls." I said with a dramatic flair.  
"No, just to you." He said, he stared me for a long moment before reaching   
behind me and undoing my ponytail.  
"What--hey!" I protested, but he silenced me by putting his index on my lips.  
He looked around and picked a pink fuschia off of the vine growing around the   
porch. Brushing my hair away from my eyes,  
he tucked the flower neatly behind my ear and rested his hands behind my neck.   
"There, see? Just as I thought." He said, justifying his case. "You do look..."  
He trailed off and I felt my heart flutter wildly again, those damn butterflies   
in my stomach banging against my insides. I could   
barely swallow as Cary struggled unsuccessfully to finish his sentence and his   
lips drew closer and closer to mine. I closed my  
eyes and felt the friction shock of electricity as our lips touched for the very   
first time. Without thinking, I broke away, shocked,  
as if it had never happened.   
His thumb traced over my cheek and I felt my legs turn to jell-o. I clutched   
onto his back and pulled him closer to kiss me  
again. This time it was more natural feeling and warm, my mind was having   
trouble functioning. I was kissing Cary Retlin. And   
I was liking it. Cary's tongue slipped into my mouth and my eyes shot open as   
our tongues touched, it felt weird, but a good   
weird. After ten seconds, Cary pulled away, as breathless and amazed as me.  
"Wow..." He whispered, his arms still around me. "Kristy, I..."  
I looked up at him and waited, my mind blurry and confused.  
"Kristy, I have to be honest with you." Cary said, his voice raspy. "I've   
thought about that moment way longer than just a minute   
before we arrived."  
My heart caught in my throat as it gave a leap. Cary had thought about this   
before, he'd been having these feelings for a while.  
"For how long?" I asked in a voice barely above a whisper.  
"Ever since...we did that project for Mrs. Simon's class." He said. "...Maybe   
even before that."  
"Before..." I recurred and without a moment's pause, I kissed him again. Cary   
offered no resistance as he cupped my cheek in   
his hand and pressed his chest against me. I could feel his heart beating almost   
as rapidly as mine and I'm sure he could feel mine  
as well. My mind got so fuzzy and distorted that I lost my balance and had to   
grab onto Cary and the two of us fell back against   
the wall. I had to pull away or else I wouldn't be able to stop and if that   
happened then someone (namely Sam or Charlie) would  
see us.  
"Cary," I murmured as I gently pushed him away. He didn't allow me to separate   
us by more than a few inches.   
"Kristy." He said in a voice that belonged on a much older guy, it was deep,   
mature. "We have to do this again someday."  
"Definitely." I replied, not feeling any need to say more. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:  
  
  
  
"YAHOOOOOOOOO!!!" Sam hollered at the top of his lungs as he rocketed off the   
tree limb and dove right into the cool  
lake. Already in the water were Alan and Cary, alternating between splashing us   
and swimming laps. Beside me on the pier were Stace, Claud and Mary Anne, Dawn   
was with Charlie at the barbeque grill talking with him about California. His   
college  
stories fascinated her to no end and was the only thing that kept her within a   
five mile radius of what she called, 'raw, compressed cow and pig carcass'.   
"So...Kristy," Claudia said roguishly, sipping her lemonade and keeping her eye   
on Alan. "How was your DATE with CARY?"  
With that, everyone turned to look at me, as if their heads were all connected   
onto one single string. I almost chocked on my iced tea, we had been talking   
about Stacey's father remarrying his girlfriend, Samantha. Where did MY dating   
relationship come in there?  
"It was okay." I said in a slap dash fashion. I sipped some more of my iced tea,   
"The movie was good."  
"What about Cary?" Stacey asked slyly. "Was he good too?"  
"Stacey!" I exclaimed, shocked that she would ask me that. "Sometimes you have   
such a nasty, suspicious mind."  
"Well, was he?" She pressed on.  
I sighed heavily and pulled out my shades, "I will not dignify that impertinent   
question with an answer."  
Stacey smiled knowingly at Claudia, "I always knew it was only a matter of time   
before Kristy realized that she like Cary..."  
"Thank you, Stacey. Thank you very much for making me feel like I'm not here." I   
mumbled as I started to read a book I'd brought along.  
"I'm just kidding, Kristy." Stacey said. "But I think it's kind of sweet. Just   
think, arch rivals turned lovers."  
'I'm not Cary's lover' I thought as she went on with her idealistic fantasies.   
'But do I want to be?'  
Involuntarily my eyes shifted to the water, to where Cary was treading. Once   
Alan jumped from the limb, he began to swim towards the bank, his muscles   
tensing and becoming more defined with every stroke. Cary wasn't as sinewy as he   
seemed when he wore baggy tie-dyes and shorts, in his swimming trunks he was   
lean and muscular and strong. He had the figure that any girl would love to   
admire for hours. I was having trouble keeping my eyes off of him myself.   
Almost in slow motion, he turned and saw me watching him, grinning he waved at   
me before climbing up the tree's ladder. My gaze held on him until he jumped off   
and disappeared into the water.   
"Gosh Kristy, drool much?" Mary Anne spoke up but not loudly enough for Stacey   
and Claudia to hear her.  
I turned away guiltily, with an embarrassed grin.  
"So, what DID happen?" Mary Anne asked me. "You wouldn't even tell me--and I'm   
your best friend."  
"Mary ANNE, it's nothing. We went to watch a movie--which, was pretty good.   
Afterwards, we went to that new Chinese restaurant by the mall. We ate, talked,   
laughed and then he took me home, that's it." I said, holding up my right hands   
as a sign of honesty.   
"That's it?" She asked skeptically. "There's nothing else?"  
"Nope." I said.  
My best friend looked at me closely before shaking her head, "You're lying. I   
don't believe you, Kristy."  
"Mary Anne," I said crossly. "maybe I just want to keep my dates... private. I   
don't think it's right for you guys to force me to say anything. I had a good   
time--I had a great time, Cary was wonderful and that's all. I'm not a   
kiss-and-tell kind of girl."  
"AHA!" Mary Anne exclaimed. "So you kissed him."  
Before I answered, Charlie called out, "Come and get it! The hotdogs and   
hamburgers are ready!"  
"And the salad too!" Dawn added.  
"The wilted, tofu-hummus salad is ready too." Charlie said and Dawn punched in   
the arm.  
Everybody got up and hurried to the table that we had brought. I stood up and   
was about to follow when Cary leapt out of the water and flapped around wildly.   
I just managed not to scream out loud.  
"You creep!" I exclaimed, but I was laughing.   
Cary held onto the pier and placed his chin on his forearms. "You look nice." He   
said.  
I looked down at my modest bikini top and shorts. "Thank you." I said. "But I   
bet your just saying that."  
"No, I mean, you're a real hottie." He said teasingly. Then, as if regretting   
what he said, he blushed. "Sorry..."  
"Don't be." I said, smiling. I bent down and held out my hand to help him out.  
  
"Cary," I whispered huskily as he wrapped me in his arms.   
"I never thought I would be doing this..." he murmured to me as he kissed my   
forehead.   
"Me neither." I replied, my voice wavering.   
Cary looked at me so intensely I thought his eyes would bore right through my   
skin. "I love the way your eyes light up when your nervous."  
"Well, I'm lying on a blanket on my back in the middle of the woods. The only   
thing separating us is a bikini and swimming trunks--how can I not be nervous?"   
I asked trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.  
"It isn't like we just met. I mean, we've known each other for two--three   
years."  
He lowered his head and kissed my neck. I shivered slightly. I only had one   
serious boyfriend before, Bart Taylor, and even he didn't kiss me there. It was   
exhiliarating and I loved it. But it also scared me. If only that one move drove   
me crazy then how would I be if we went further?   
"Cary, wait..." I whispered as his lips moved lower. "Please, wait, you don't   
think we're moving too fast?"  
Cary paused before laughing reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kristy. I won't do   
anything that you aren't comfortable with."   
When I didn't say anything, he slowly maneuvered himself off of me and sat up.   
"If you want, we can stop now, Kristy."  
I waited for a moment, wondering. Did I really want to go back to a bunch of   
screaming people playing water polo, listening to   
Eminem? Naww, not really. Kissing was more fun.  
I reached my arm around Cary's neck and pulled him back down. He slowly lowered   
himself back down and supported my head on under his forearms.   
"God, you're so beautiful. I could slap myself for never noticing it before."   
Cary said.  
"And... when did you first notice it?" I asked him after he kissed the tip of my   
nose.   
"Well, mostly when you threw that party at your house." He said after some   
thought. "I was just getting over being mad at you for snooping in my notebook   
and... I don't know... anger and rivalry is... kind of sexy."  
I chuckled softly then traced his lips with my index finger. Cary gave each one   
of my fingers a short kiss before sitting up again.  
"We've been gone for a while. Maybe we should head back, they'll miss us." He   
said.  
Pulling myself up, I agreed.  
  
  
" 'Kay, bye Cary!" Sam, Charlie and I called as we dropped Cary off at his   
house.  
Cary waved before turning back to his house and heading in.   
"God, it's great to be back." Charlie said as he drove off. "It beats studying   
all the time."  
"Come on, Charlie, you surely didn't study ALL the time." Sam proded. "Aren't   
there any keg parties there? How are the girls?"  
"There are keg parties and the girls are okay, but my life there wasn't one   
constant bash. It was hard work." He said. Sam sighed and sat back in his chair,   
disappointed. Charlie looked at him slyly before replying, "But it was CLOSE!"  
I groaned and sat back as the two laughed their heads off. How did Cary get so   
mature when he was hanging around Sam? Then I remembered his writings and   
realized that he must have been pretty mature already. Less than a minute later   
we pulled into our driveway and got out.   
"Mo-o-o-m! We're ho-o-o-me!" Charlie bellowed   
"Hey!" I shouted. "Loser! Check the driveway, they aren't here."  
"Oh, right." Charlie said.  
I shook my head as I past by, then leaned over and whispered, "TOO many keg   
parties, I guess, huh?" I was rewarded with a kick on the ankle and I grimaced   
with mock pain.  
Charlie decided to watch a movie on HBO and ordered me to make him a tub of   
popcorn--lots of butter, no salt. I was stomping around the kitchen, banging   
pots and pans to let Charlie know I was not happy being his consession stand   
when I turned and saw Sam frowning at me from the doorway.  
"Hey, Kristy would you turn it down? I'm trying to make a phone call."   
"Sor-ry." I spat, not sounding at all sorry.   
Sam shook his head and picked up the phone in the kitchen. He quickly dialed a   
number and waited as he let it ring.  
I shoved a bag of popcorn into the microwave and set it for three minutes.   
"Kristy, what's with you and Cary?" Sam asked suddenly.  
I had just opened the fridge and pulled out a tub of butter which I dropped once   
he asked. "With us? Nothing."   
"Come on," Sam pressed. "I know there's something. Otherwise you wouldn't have   
disappeared with him into the woods for nearly ten minutes."  
"You saw us?" I asked, horror-stricken.  
"Yes--but only me." He assured. "Kristy, it's okay, you don't have to feel   
guilty about it. I've always known that Cary liked you." I snapped my head in   
his direction. "I just never knew the feeling was mutual."  
"Neither did I." I replied after a beat.  
"So... there are feelings there that are not exactly 'just friends' feelings?"   
He asked.  
I decided not to give him a half-baked, 'I guess...' or 'I don't know...' and   
tell him the truth, straight out.  
"Yes, there are." I said honestly, surprised at how easy and natural it all was.  
Sam smiled in a protective, big brother way. "Great. I knew that Cary's worrying   
would be for nothing."  
"Cary's worrying?" I querried.  
"Yeah, he told me about how much he liked you," Sam explained. "But you seemed   
so annoyed and flustered by him that he was sure you wouldn't feel the same."   
"He did?" I asked, feeling light. The microwave 'dinged' and I opened it to get   
out the popcorn.  
"Yeah, I'm surprised that it's taken you so long to realize it." Sam set down   
the phone and started away. "I guess I'll have to call Sarah later. Just be   
careful, Kristy. Cary's a great guy, but remember, he's still a guy."  
"I got you Sam." I said.  
Sam did a goofy wave before hurrying up the stairs.   
I got out the popcorn and danced away to the rec room. Instead of going in to   
give it to Charlie, I passed right by.   
"Hey, where's my popcorn?" Charlie demanded.  
"Get your own." I said, dangling near the doorway.  
"Kristy, as long as you live under my house, you live under my rules." he said   
in a fatherly tone.  
"Charlie," I said sweetly, before turning on my heels. "Live under this." 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight:  
  
  
  
  
"Kristy, where are we going today?" Eight-year-old Mariah Perkins asked me as we   
walked to the park.  
"Just to the park." I told her. "We're going to meet up with a friend of mine   
and his younger brother." I looked down at her. "I think you might now him.   
Derek Retlin?"  
Mariah crinkled her eyebrows and gazed at me, puzzled. "Is he that skinny, yucky   
boy?"  
"Oh... so you know him?" I asked.  
"Yes." Mariah said, with obvious disgust. "And I hate him."  
An uneasy feeling came over me but I kept on walking. Cary and I planned an   
afternoon for Derek and mariah so that they could get to know each other better   
and Derek wouldn't be so daunted by her. I had a feeling this would be one long   
afternoon.  
Once we arrived at the park I spotted Cary and Derek waiting on one of the   
benches by the Merry-Go-Round. Cary looked up and saw me and Mariah walking   
towards them and I felt my stomach flip when our eyes locked. It was so strange,   
only a few weeks ago it did the same thing, only in disgust. Now it was out of   
excitement to see him.  
"Hi, Cary!" I greeted.  
"Hi, Kristy!" He said, looking like he wanted to scoop me into his arms but   
restrained himself for the sake of public decency.  
I looked down at Mariah and sighed before putting on a smile.  
"Mariah, this is Derek." I said.  
"I know." She replied icily.  
"I know her too." Derek said without a beat and just as icily.  
Cary and I exchanged a glance before I put on a bright (er) smile. "Well, we're   
sure going to have a good time today! Mariah, you know how much you like Peter   
Pan? Well, were going to watch 'Return to Neverland' today. How does that   
sound?"  
Mariah's expression lit up like a lightbulb. "Goody! I haven't watched a movie   
without Gabbers forever! You know how much she likes to talk through all the   
good parts."  
"Who's Gabbers?" Derek asked.  
"Gabbie." Mariah clarified. "She's my little sister. She's four years old and an   
absolute pest!"  
"Oh. I have a little brother named Ben. He's only seven but he's a big pest   
too."  
Then, as if sibling trials were the icebreaker, Mariah and Derek walked off   
together, talking as if they were old friends. Cary and I looked at each other   
and smiled, after some thought, Cary took hold of my hand we started after the   
two. A year ago, when Bart and I were going out, he used to always grab my hand   
or put his arm around me. I wasn't a baby but it just wasn't comfortable for me,   
it made me feel timorous and unsure. But for some reason, with Cary, it was   
different.   
  
  
  
"Don't you wish fairies, flying boys and pixie dust was real?" Mariah asked as   
she danced around after movie. The two had enjoyed the movie and both decided   
that it was better than the first one.   
"There are other ways to fly, you know." Derek said.  
"Really?" Mariah asked curiously. "How?"  
"don't you feel like you can fly when your doing gymnastics?"  
"No. My gymnastics teacher doesn't make us do any fun stuff yet."  
Derek went on to explain to Mariah all the stunts he knew and once we reached   
the park, he demonstrated them. Mariah was very impressed. The once cold,   
distant expression she had when she first arrived was replaced with a warm,   
friendly smile.  
As an ending to the afternoon, Cary and I bought the two ice cream cones. Both   
seemed depressed when we had to drop Mariah home, but promised to stay see each   
other at school. Derek seemed to be on Cloud Nine when we dropped him home.  
"He looks really happy." Cary said to me as we took the wooded path to my house.   
"You know match-making."  
"No." I disagreed. "I just know kids."  
Cary laughed and we paused beneath a tree. "Kristy, Wednesday, when we were at   
the lake, I realized that I know so little about you."  
"How so?" I asked, puzzled.  
"I never knew you were the kind of girl who could..." Cary cut himself off.   
"...sneak away with a guy and kiss so well."  
I laughed uncomfortably at first but shook off the feeling. "Well, it's not like   
I do it often--"  
"I didn't mean it like that." Cary said.   
"Then what did you mean?" I asked.  
Cary drew his mouth up into his cheek like a drawstring and pulled me down onto   
the big roots of the tree. I was kind of hoping for a kiss, but Cary just gave   
me an amuzed look.  
"I just meant that, despite all the time we've known each other, all the jokes   
and pranks and arguments--I really don't know all about you."  
I smiled widely. "Is that all?" I leaned against the trunk of the tree. "Well, I   
was born in the Yankee Stadium for one thing."  
"Really?" He asked, interesting lighting up in his eyes.  
"Uh-huh." I said.  
We took turns telling our lives to one another, almost like truth or dare   
without the dare. I knew that his father was a police officer but I didn't know   
that Cary wanted to become on also. He wanted to do writing and music too, but   
something made him want to be on the force too. I told him that he follow his   
gut. I told him that I wanted to be a lawyer or a P.E. teacher or some other   
occupation where losing your temper every now and then was completely   
exceptable. He agreed that I was kind of hot-headed.  
I was surprised when I realized that we had been talking for two hours.   
"I'd better get back." I said.  
"Yeah, I have to be getting back too." Cary said.  
We stood and dusted ourselves off and I looked at him closely. Before he could   
head away, I took his arm.  
"Um, Cary?"  
"Yes?" He asked.  
"My friend, Abby, is in a play for the Little Theater in town in two weeks." I   
said. "You want to go?"  
Cary looked as if he were debating this very carefully before grinning. "Sure."  
I nodded, "Great."  
Before he turned around again, Cary pulled me closer and gave me a small kiss. I   
felt it lingering on my lips long after we pulled apart from each other. As a   
matter of fact, I was still in a daze until I climbed into bed that night. Once   
my head hit the pillow I  
knew that I was going to have trouble sleeping. Absently, I began to wonder if   
this was how Dawn was feeling about her relationship with Jason. Sure, I had   
known Cary ever since seventh-grade, three years, which was significantly longer   
than Dawn had known her boyfriend, but... maybe meeting your soul mate at this   
time in life wasn't so unusual.  
After all, Mary Anne and Dawn's parents were high school sweethearts and now   
they were married. Eventually, sleep did find me and I dreamed of what my life   
would be like with Cary in it. I decided that I liked the idea. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:  
  
  
  
"Sorry about the change of plans, Cary." I apologized as I stirred the boiling   
pot of Chicken and Stars soup.  
"It's no problem." Cary replied nonchalantly. "Really, it isn't."  
I smiled. Our plans to go watch Abby's play were dashed that afternoon after mom   
and Watson decided to go to the Stoneybrook Charity Auction at the country club,   
leaving me alone with three sniffling, coughing and aching children. Neither Sam   
nor Charlie could do it because they were both invited to a party at a friend's.   
  
So that left me. Of course KRISTY wouldn't have any plans. I had put up some   
resistance, but I didn't want the kids to feel hurt that their big sister didn't   
want to take care of them-even if their big brothers felt exactly the same way.  
"We'll watch Abby's play some other day." Cary assured me. "The important thing   
is that we're here together now."  
He was much wittier than I ever gave him credit for. He knew just what to say. I   
smiled and grabbed a hand towel from the rack and swiped him across the head,   
ruffling his dirty brown hair.   
While the tea for the kids warmed up, Cary talked about what we could do for the   
rest of the summer. We still had a month and a half. As we got the bowls ready   
we talked about our favorite music. He grew up listening to country and   
bluegrass while I was pretty neutral about things like that, not caring what   
particular genre a song was as long as it sounded good.  
"Help me carry these trays up to the kids." I told him and Cary nodded as he   
took one tray then took the second one that I was carrying.   
He smirked at me cockily as he trudged forward like a jungle adventurer off to   
find El Dorado. Shaking my head I followed him.  
We carefully climbed the stairs, trying not to spill any of the soup or tea   
(both of which were scalding hot-I made a mental note to tell the kids not to   
eat it all at once). We reached Karen's room without too much trouble and I   
knocked on the door.   
There was no answer so I opened the door a bit to peek in. Karen was lying   
almost comatose on her bed. Her light blonde hair spread behind her on her   
pillow framed her tiny, pale face and made her look even sicker than she really   
was. Her eyes which usually shone with energy no matter what were dull and   
tired. This flu was affecting in the worst ways. It seemed she would never get   
her original joire de vive back.   
"Hey, Karen." I said, smiling my best. "How are you doing?"  
She just barely managed to shrug her shoulders.   
"Well... Cary and I brought you some soup and tea. Do you think you could hold   
it down tonight?"  
Another shrug. I sighed.   
I set down her tray next to her on the little fold out table and picked up her   
medicine.   
"You should take this now."  
Normally, the taking of any medicine would have stirred up a howl of disputes   
but the sick Karen just nodded and sat up. I filled up one teaspoon in the   
measurement cup and gave it to her to done it at her own pace.  
She stared at it with a very sizeable grimace on her face. Suddenly I felt the   
bottle leave my hand and Cary had it. He pretended to take a long swig. He made   
a smacking noise with his lips and nodded.  
"Pretty good year." He said the way most people would talk about fine wines. He   
gestured the bottle to Karen as if to make a toast.  
A small, unsure smile formed on Karen's face before she really did grin, a   
little light coming back into her blue eyes. Cary tried a few more jokes and   
when we left, Karen seemed a little like her old self.  
If Karen's change of personality was a far cry from her usual disposition, I   
thought Andrew and David Michael might as well have been from a different   
planet. The flu that had made Karen far away and despondent made Andrew loud and   
demanding and David Michael super bright and talkative. Cary and I must have   
spent a total of an hour upstairs just trying to comply with the boys' needs.  
By the time we retreated downstairs, my throat was parched and dry from all the   
story-telling-Cary seemed to feel the same way.   
"What do you want to do?" I asked as we headed to the kitchen for a drink.  
Cary shrugged and looked undecided about something on his mind.   
I opened up the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. Cary pulled   
out two glasses from the cabinet and set them down for me. We sat and drank in   
silence for a minute or two when Cary cleared his throat loudly.   
I looked at him questioningly but he was looking down at his lemonade glass.   
When I looked down again, he spoke up.  
"I want you to listen to something." He said seriously.  
Before I could reply, he took my hand and lead me to the formal living, what   
Watson called a Grande salon, and sat me down on a chair as he sat back at the   
piano where he had played so magnificently just weeks before.   
His tongue rolled over his lips as his fingers simultaneously ran over the ivory   
keys.  
"Cary?" I asked questioningly.  
Taking a deep breath, he smiled at me and said, "I hope you don't think of this   
as corny, but um, there are a lot of things that I want to say to you that I   
can't just come out and say and then I composed a song." He said all of this   
very fast; as if he were afraid I would argue.   
My breath caught in my throat and my heart skipped a beat. Cary had written a   
song for ME? That was... sweet. Bart had never written me a letter, let alone a   
song. Sports had always seemed to be good enough for the both of us, or maybe I   
had just allowed myself to think like that. That our similarities were what made   
us a good couple. That we didn't need all that lovey-dovey stuff. We weren't the   
usual run-of-the-mill couple, we were EXACTLY alike.  
Then I found he was every bit like me and maybe that drove me away. I didn't   
want a relationship where we were exact duplicates. What did Bart add to me that   
made me better? Mary Anne had Logan, who made her a little stronger and   
outgoing. Stacey had had nearly every boy on the east coast (okay, I exaggerate,   
but I wonder sometimes about where her morals lie...) and that made her... more,   
I hate to say this, higher in her own opinion. She was always a little snobby   
from being from New York, but when she realized that she could have nearly every   
boy she wanted, she became even more estranged from reality. None of the boys   
she dated ever contributed much to the relationship (which I guess is why she   
never stayed very long).  
And Claudia had always had boyfriends that were considerate and tried to help   
her and bring her down to earth.... But they never had guys that were exactly   
like them in every way. Maybe that's why their relationships stood a chance.  
Doing all this thinking, I wasn't saying much which I guess made Cary nervous.  
"Well, maybe I could let you hear it later--" he said, getting up.  
I touched his arm and smiled. "I'd like to hear it now."  
Cary looked at me for a second and then nodded as he sat back down.   
"The song is called..." He said. "Well, I never exactly made a title..."  
"That's okay." I said.   
Cary nodded again and took a deep breath, preparing himself. Then he played a   
soft, but swift melody that took my breath away. It was beautiful, Cary was so   
talented. I was sure that if he ever pursued a career in music that he was going   
to get very famous. I really did begin to understand what the music was saying.   
When he was finished I think I actually had tears in my eyes.   
"Oh, Cary..." I whispered smiling, and then I leaned over and kissed him softly.  
  
  
"It was very sweet." I told him later as we sat down in the den, in front of the   
big screen. "I loved it."  
"I'm glad." Cary said, looking relieved.   
"Yeah." I said. We were going to watch Joe Dirt, which Sam had recently rented   
and told Cary and I that I could watch it if we got bored. I had gone up to his   
room and grabbed the first tape I saw on the VCR then returned.  
I turned to channel three and popped it in then pressed play. I sat down next to   
Cary and took some of the offered popcorn and saw a shocked look on Cary's face.   
I frowned deeply then looked at the TV and saw why.   
I turned a deep red at the sight of two people, wrapped in a heated embrace,   
completely naked and... well, you could guess what they were doing... I had no   
idea that Sam had these kinds of videos in his room. I was SURE mom would   
disapprove of... of her children watching porn...   
"I'm sorry, Cary." I said, trying to hide my embarrassment as I reached for the   
remote, wanting to stop watching, but for some reason I couldn't get my eyes off   
of the screen.  
"It's all right." He said. "Um..."  
We both were quiet for a second before he looked at me. "Do you want to shut if   
off?"  
I looked down then back up at him and smiled. "Not really."  
He grinned widely. "Okay."  
We sat back and I was surprised at why I said what I had. I knew it was wrong to   
do this, but why couldn't I stop? WHY hadn't I looked at the tape before I took   
it? I squirmed in my seat, my heart thumping. Watching this and sitting so close   
to Cary was making me feel excited. I looked up at him and wondered whether I   
should do something about it. But...  
Then I felt his hand on mine. I looked at him again and moved closer to him   
until I was practically sitting in his lap. My heart pounded and rattled in my   
chest as Cary moved his hands down my back, over my hips, caressing my bottom   
before feeling my inner thighs. I was scared, but more out of how his actions   
were making me feel than of what he was doing.   
"Cary..." I murmured softly.  
"Kristy," He said in a dangerously low voice. "If you don't get off now I'm not   
going to be able to stop myself... I'm not experienced when it comes to this   
stuff..." I was surprised at how honest he was being, Stacey had always told me   
that boys always pretended to be experienced-no matter what age. "It'll be like   
we're on thin ice or something--"  
"Shh." I hushed him, putting my index on his lips, amazed at how brave I was   
being and how much I wanted this. "It's okay. Neither am I. And just slide."  
"Slide?" He repeated and I nodded.  
"On the ice." I told him.   
We kissed, the electricity flowing between us like a storm and I started to   
unbutton his shirt. He moved his hand between my legs and back up to my breasts.   
I felt light-headed but I managed to get his shirt off and I started to kiss his   
chest, his muscles tensing as I got lower.   
Before I could get below his waist, which I noticed were already bricks, he   
cupped my chin with his fingers and pulled me up to him again. He lifted my   
white silk blouse over my head to reveal my lacy white bra. Cary seemed to   
freeze and his face got red but I touched his cheek and kissed his forehead.  
"It's okay." I whispered, wondering if we were moving to fast.  
"I know." He whispered back. "But if you're parents come home-or Sam or   
Charlie-or if the kids come in and see us..."  
"So I won't get TV for a week. Big deal." My false show of bravado seemed to   
impress Cary but he still seemed hesitant and his fingers fumbled with the clasp   
on my bra so I reached behind to help him. He threw my bra to the side and   
caressed my nipples before taking one into his mouth. I was shocked at the feel   
of his tongue on me but I loved the rush he gave me.   
We kissed again and Cary laid me down on the couch, thumbing my breasts and   
caressing my entire body. He undid his pants and slipped them down around his   
knees, I did the same with mine, the noises of moans and screams from the TV   
cheering us on. Cary slipped my shorts off and threw them behind us, now the   
only thing separating us was our underwear.  
I was scared, excited and confused all at the same time. I wanted him so badly,   
passion taking over every inch of me and when Cary pressed himself between my   
legs, toying with the waistband of my panties. He slipped his hand into them and   
touched me and I jumped. No one had ever touched me there-I had barely touched   
myself there. I had wanted to once but I had been too afraid.   
Now he gently stroked me as if it were nothing serious, he seemed so much older   
now, and not as unsure as when we had first started. I moaned as he plunged his   
finger inside, the feel of the penetration shocked me but I knew it'd feel much   
more different when he... when he WHAT?   
Suddenly I wasn't so brave. I had to stop this, I wasn't ready.   
"Cary," I meant to say it forcefully, but it came out weak-as if all he did was   
feeling good to me. Oh, and it WAS and I wanted more, but that was why I had to   
stop.   
He moaned in pleasure as I felt him harden. He pulled my panties down and   
squirmed out of his underwear. His finger pulled out and he pressed himself   
against my skin. I felt him there so quickly, ready to slip into me and I dared   
to look down.   
I was surprised at how big Cary was. He was so long, almost the size of a ruler   
but much thicker. How was he going to fit inside me? I knew-just KNEW-that he   
never would. The words of my health teacher came back to me, telling me that it   
would hurt when we girls first did it; I was petrified to ever think about it   
again.  
I felt him, he was about to enter and I found myself screaming, "NO, CARY-STOP   
IT!"  
He was so shocked that he whipped away, fear in his eyes that he was doing   
something wrong.  
"Kristy?"  
Tears filled my eyes.   
"I'm sorry, Cary." I said softly, angry at myself for chickening out when I had   
encouraged him. "I'm sorry, I really am...but...I-I can't. I'm scared."  
Cary nodded, trying to slow his breathing. "It's all right, Kristy."  
He looked down at himself and blushed, he was still erect and I could see jewels   
of moisture seeping out from his head. The sight of it aroused me and made me   
want to pick up where we left off but I couldn't. Even if this was just   
first-time jitters, we still didn't have protection and that was stupid to even   
start petting if we didn't have it.  
On TV, the woman was sucking on the man hard, her head bobbing up and down. Cary   
and I looked at each other and I blushed. Picking up the remote, I turned off   
the VCR and TV.   
"Maybe I should go." Cary said.  
I nodded and we picked up our clothes.   
As soon as we were dressed, I walked him to the door.  
"Tonight was...fun." He dared.  
I smiled and nodded. "It was..."  
Cary looked down and shuffled his feet then looked at me, kissing me gently.   
After it ended, he let his lips linger on my forehead and I breathed in his   
scent.  
"I wanted to do it, Cary." I whispered.  
"I did too," He admitted. "But it's better this way. Next time we'll be more   
prepared-and it'll be more special. Not on a couch and not on some babysitting   
job. I promise." His words brought an even bigger smile to my face. "Next time?"  
"Yeah, I mean, if you want to." He said. "Do you?"  
I nodded after I had given it some thought. I did. I really did. Cary smiled,   
happy at my answer and kissed me again before stepping off the steps.   
"Cary, I--" I called after him.  
He turned immediately and looked at me expectantly.   
"I...I love you." I said, hoping he'd feel the same.  
Cary walked back to me, took my hand over the porch railing and kissed it.  
"And I you." He said. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten:  
  
  
"KRISTY!" Mary Anne screamed at me as she lunged for the fuzzy yellow tennis   
ball that whizzed by me--and missed. She fell onto her stomach with a supressed   
groan, her lips pursed and drawn up into her left cheek. I snapped out of my   
daze and started laughing at her expression. "Kristy!" she repeated as she stood   
up, trying to hide her smile as she dusted herself off. "What is up with you   
today? You don't usually slack off on any sports."  
"I know." I replied, bending to pick up the ball and then throwing it back to   
Dawn and Mallory who were our doubles opponents. "I just haven't been myself   
lately."  
Mary Anne laughed. "That's for sure. Time out!" she added to the other two and   
the four of us headed to the benches beside the tennis courts. Mallory headed   
for the water fountain to get herself a drink while Dawn bent to re-tie her   
shoelaces. I felt a little foolish. Here I was, Kristy Thomas, Queen of All   
Sports... and I was losing to Dawn Schafer and Mallory Pike.  
"So, spill." Mary Anne said as she set her racket down. "What's up?"  
"I don't know." I lied, of course I was thinking about Cary and what we had done   
a few nights ago. I still get chills and shivers when I think about it. "I   
guess...No, I don't know."  
Mary Anne looked skeptical but knew enough not to push it. "Well, I guess you're   
just having a slump--I've been in one ever since summer began."  
"Yeah, I could kind of see that. How are you doing these days?" I asked, just to   
change the subject.   
"Fine." Mary Anne told me. "It helps to have Dawn back. Especially now that   
she's calmed down about Jason. She rarely talks about him at all."  
"That's a first." I said. Dawn had been infatuated with him since she stepped   
off the plane and found people who didn't know about Jason, The Great.  
But...just as Dawn was starting to calm down, I was starting to realize how she   
felt about her boyfriend. Because that was how I felt about Cary. I couldn't   
stop thinking about him, only I didn't have anyone to blab about him to. And, in   
a way, I didn't want to talk about him to anyone. It wasn't that I wasn't proud   
to be with Cary, it's just that...our relationship is... special. I wanted to   
keep it special and not wear it out by talking about it constantly. I suddenly   
understood the saying that silence was golden. It kept love sacred.  
"So," Mallory said after she returned. "How about one more match before calling   
it quits--remember, Kristy, we need to baby-sit for the Barrett-Dewitt kids in   
two hours."  
"Right." I replied. It's always an adventure baby-sitting for the Barrett-Dewitt   
bunch, maybe they'd help to keep my mind off of Cary for awhile.  
  
  
  
"Give me my diary, Buddy!" Lindsey screamed, chasing Buddy around the living   
room.  
"I'm not going to read it! I just want to rip out the pages!" Buddy called,   
laughing over his shoulder.  
"Auggghhh!"  
"WahhAH!"  
"EWW!"  
"MINE! MINE! MINE!"  
I glanced at Mallory, who looked a little dazed. The Dewitts had only been gone   
for half an hour, but the house was in an uproar. Buddy had stolen Lindsey's   
diary and was now running a break-neck speed, trying to open the lock at the   
same time. Lindsey was chasing, hopping and tripping over all the stuff in the   
house as she charged after Buddy. On the floor, Suzi, Marnie and Taylor were   
playing a game of Candy Land. The latters in tears. And Madeleine and Ryan were   
making soggy Play Doh pies on the floor. It wasn't just uproar. It was a   
nightmare.   
I gave Mal a nod and she took care of the stationary children while I took off   
after Buddy and Lindsey. I followed their screams up the stairs, down the hall,   
then up the hall an nter and dashed out of the kitchen. Buddy zoomed out of the   
house, Lindsey at his heels and me at Lindsey's. If I hadn't been so set, I   
would have burst out laughing because of how ridiculous we must have looked. All   
this for a book? It all ended when Buddy started running in a huge circle and I   
cut threw it and grabbed him up in my arms.  
Quickly, Lindsey snatched her diary from Buddy's hands and darted for the house.  
"Hey! Wait!" I called after her, dropping Buddy to the ground.  
"Ouch." he said.  
"Sorry--stay there." I said. "Lindsey! Come back here! We need to communicate   
about this!"  
The chase was on again, I chased Lindsey back into the house, into the living   
room, up the stairs, down the hall and then came to a dead end at her door just   
as I heard the click of the lock.   
"Lindsey!" I shouted through the door, knocking. "Lindsey, open the door,   
please? Can we talk about this?"  
"N-n-n-no!" Lindsey said shakily. I could tell she was crying.  
"Lindsey, please? Tell me what's wrong. I might be able to help."  
I expected more 'no's' but after a few moments of silence, the door unlocked and   
Lindsey's little face appeared through a narrow opening.   
"Lindsey, what's wrong?"  
"B-b-b-buddy t-t-t-tried t-t-t-o r-r-r-read my d-d-d-d-diary!" She said   
tearfully. "H-h-h-h-he knows about my c-c-c-cru...cru..."  
"Cru...crush?" I asked.  
Lindsey nodded, just dipping her head slightly. "He's going t-to t-tell   
e-e-everyoooonnneee!"  
"Buddy won't tell ANYone." I told her. "Big brothers do that just to scare or   
tease you. Believe me, I know. Can I come in?"  
Lindsey hesitated before stepping back, I guess that was a good sign.   
"Big brothers can be real pains." I said after a moment of sizing up Lindsey's   
side of the room that she shared with Madeleine. It was girlie to the extreme.   
Pink. Fairies. Unicorns. Stars. Glitter. The whole bit. Did I mention pink? I   
thought it would be best to start with the big guns: Boys are pains.  
"Yes, they can." she said softly, picking up a fluffy white teddy bear and   
hugging it close.   
"But, just because they're pains, doesn't mean that they don't care about you.   
They tease you a lot, and there may be nothing you can do about it, but..." I   
trailed off. I didn't really know what to say, I was just throwing out words,   
hoping some of it will make sense.  
"Boys are so stupid." Lindsey said fiercely.  
I thought for a moment. "That isn't all true." I said, then sat next to her.   
"There must be at least one special boy if you like him."  
Lindsey looked angry but her features broke into an embarrassed blush. "Only   
some..."  
"So," I said, sitting back and picking at a puppy dog's ears. "Who is this boy?"   
I thought it would be a good idea to get her mind off Buddy.  
Lindsey smiled but shook her head, her tears drying up.  
"No, huh?" I said. "Okay, he can remain anonymous." I paused and tried to think   
like Mary Anne. "Is...he...cute?"  
Lindsey giggled and nodded. "Really cute."  
I got Lindsey talking some more and a realization hit me. The boy she liked was   
Nicky Pike. Mallory's little brother.   
"I've never felt this way before." Lindsey said dreamily.  
"I know how you feel." I mumbled without thinking.  
"You do?" she asked.  
Before I could think of something to get me out of the conversation, Buddy's   
voice rang in from the yard.  
"Kris-tee! It's getting dark! Can I come in now?"  
"Oops." I said, laughing.  
Lindsey giggled.  
"Well, should we let him in?" I asked.  
Lindsey thought for a moment. "Okay."  
  
  
It was nearly eight o' clock when I arrived home. I was exhausted and just   
climbing the five steps to our door took it out of me. Once I got through the   
door, I saw Nannie sitting on the couch, watching a re-run of Unsolved   
Mysteries.  
"Isn't Robert Stack the greatest?" she asked me with a wry smile as I came in.  
"The one and only." I said. "How was your day, Nannie?"  
"Okay." she replied, looking star-struck at Mr. Stack. "Yours?"  
"Same." I said.  
Nannie looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking up. "Oh! Cary Retlin   
called about an hour ago. He asked if you could call him back when you got home.   
Didn't matter what time, he said. If I didn't know better, Ms. K.," she said   
with a sly, playful grin. "I'd say that boy is dog GONE over you!"  
"NANnie!" I exclaimed, blushing furiously.   
"Kristy, I would give anything to be young and in love again." she said. "And   
Cary seems like the pick of the litter."  
I thanked Nannie and hurried up to my room to call up Cary.  
The phone rang only two times before Cary picked up.  
"Hi." I said, feeling my exhaustion lift.   
"Hi, Kristy." he said, sounding how I felt. "I called earlier but--"  
"I was at a baby-sitting job." I said, then quickly added, "Don't ask."  
"Bad?" he asked.  
"I told you not to ask." I scolded.  
"Sorry." he said sheepishly. "But, really, how are you doing?"  
"I'm okay. What about you? What did you need?"   
Cary didn't say anything. "I don't know."  
"You don't know?" I repeated.  
"I guess I just wanted to talk to you...and tell you something."  
"Really? What?" I asked, snuggling next to a pillow. I could barely force back   
the elated smile on my face.  
"Well, if you wanted...my parents are going to visit my Aunt's house up Maine in   
a few days."  
"Do Ben and Stieg need a baby-sitter again?"  
"No." He said. "They're taking my brothers with them. They said I could stay   
here if I wanted. I don't have a pleasant life with my cousins. They're morons."  
"So you'll be by yourself?" I asked, my heart pounding, not sure how to feel.   
"Oh...poor baby."  
"Yeah. I may need a sitter." Cary said, sounding depressed.  
It was corny. This conversation was corny, but I loved it.  
"I was thinking, if you wanted, you could spend the night." Cary said, his voice   
sounding hesitant, unsure.  
My heart leapt and I swallowed hard.   
This was it... 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven:  
  
  
  
My heart pounded as I paced my room in anticipation. This was the night. I mean,   
THE night. The night that would end my life as a girl and make me a woman.   
Permanently, there was no turning back. Could you tell I was having second   
thoughts? Well, I was. It wasn't that I didn't love Cary, I just…well, I don't   
know what I was feeling. It was all just so confusing to me. I didn't know   
whether I would like it or love it or regret it for the rest of my life. There   
was also another factor that had been on my mind. The pain.   
I'm not squeamish. I can take a slasher film with blood and guts flying   
everywhere and when my health teacher made us watch the universal movie,   
"Miracle of Life" I didn't wince or grimace with disgust as the other girls had.   
But…this was real life—happening to ME.   
I had finally had the guts to tell Mary Anne everything. She seemed surprised   
but listened with the sharp, ever-so-caring ear she had had ever since we were   
kids and something that I had missed ever since summer began. She had really   
made me feel calmer about the subject than before. I had to tell her about Cary   
and I because I told my mom that I would be spending the night at Dawn and Mary   
Anne's and I needed them to cover up for me.   
The lying was the part that really got to her and made her hesitate. To tell the   
truth, I didn't like it that much either. I don't enjoy lying to my mom. I tell   
her everything and it made me so guilty and horrible when I had to look in her   
eyes and tell her an outright lie. But that was the only excuse that was   
fool-proof. I've been sleeping over at Mary Anne's and Dawn's for years and mom   
never calls to check up on me.  
As if sensing my guilt, I heard my mom call from downstairs, "Kristy!"  
I jumped nearly a mile, my heart pounding harder and then stopping completely.  
"Uh…yes?" I squeaked.  
"You'd better hurry if you want to get to Mary Anne's before dark." She said.  
"Oh. Yeah." I mumbled and got together an overnight bag.   
"Or better yet, why don't I drop you off?" She said a moment later.  
"WHAT?!" I let slip. "Oh no, mom, don't bother. It's no problem I've ridden my   
bike there tons of times. I'll be fine."  
"It's on the other side of town." My mom objected. "Get ready and I'll drop you   
off."  
I stammered uselessly and grudgingly let the subject drop. If I resisted then my   
mom would know something was up. I tucked the silk teddy that I had bought just   
the other day into my night bag and slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I   
had no idea how I would get to Cary's house now. Maybe I could get a cab.  
I lunged for my purse on the night stand and threw that into my bag too.   
"Okay…" I called gruffly down to my mom. "I'm ready, mom."  
  
  
I smiled and waved as mom pulled away from the curb and drove down the street.   
Thankfully, nobody (as in Mary Anne's dad and Dawn's mom) saw us drive up and   
when I was sure mom was gone, I ducked behind a tree near the house and slipped   
around the back. I opened my bag and produced my cell phone mom and Watson had   
bought me for my birthday this year.   
First, I called the cab company and told them to pick me up at Burnt Hill Road   
and then called up Cary and told him that I was heading over. He sounded just as   
nervous as I felt and that made me feel better. At least he was being honest; he   
wasn't trying to be some kind of Don Juan about this. It was comforting to know   
that he had some insecurity.   
I hide around the house for only five minutes until the cab pulled up in front   
of the house. I dashed out from behind it and hurried into it, practically   
slamming the door shut. I quickly gave the driver Cary's address and sat back   
into the seat until I was almost sinking into it.  
I tried not to look too suspicious or guilty but it didn't matter too much, the   
driver looked dead tired and couldn't have cared less whether I had just robbed   
a bank. It took less than fifteen minutes to get to Cary's but it felt like an   
eternity. My stomach turned over when we past my house and I 'dropped' my bag on   
the floor, then took my dear sweet time picking it up.   
The driver pulled up in front of Cary's house and I paid him, tipping him way   
too much but I didn't notice or I didn't care—hush money. I swung my bag around   
as I climbed the steps and rang the bell. It didn't ring more than two times   
before Cary opened the door.  
Almost immediately I felt a blush take over my face. Cary was fully dressed but   
something was different about him. Maybe the excitement of the day was taking   
over his mood, but he seemed more…seductive.   
"Hey." He said and ushered me in, which was just as well; I didn't want to risk   
Sam or Charlie driving by and seeing me at Cary's with an over night bag and the   
sun just about down.  
I stepped into the foyer of Cary's house and suddenly felt how quiet it was.   
When Ben and Steig were here, I could feel there energy almost reverberating   
against the walls even when they were being completely quiet and when Cary's   
parents invited me over for dinner three nights ago, I could feel liveliness   
everywhere as they regaled their travels and showed me their souvenirs. But now,   
it was as quiet as a morgue.   
I suddenly felt sorry for Cary. All alone in this house for the past two days.   
The thought took my mind off my nervousness and, for the first time, I felt   
excited.  
Turning around, I pulled Cary into my arms and gave him a long kiss. He seemed   
to perk up against me and joined me more than eagerly in the embrace.   
"I…I made spaghetti." He said lamely when we pulled away.  
Something in his tone made me giggle and kiss his chin one more time.  
"Great." I said. "it's my favorite."  
Before he could kiss me again, I pulled away and held up my back, shifting my   
weight to my left leg, my hand alluringly placed on my hip.   
"Why don't you get it ready? I have to change." I said, a sly smile on my face.  
Cary tried to suppress a shiver and nodded.   
I took a step forward then stopped, immediately dropping my sexy stance. "Ur,   
um…where do I…?"  
"Change?" Cary asked, the word falling off his tongue as if it were slippery.   
"Well, um, in my bed—I mean!—my bedroom or in the bathroom or…" He put his face   
in his hand and laughed rattledly. "Kristy, change where ever you want. You're   
in charge." He added, trying to regain his composure.  
"That's right." I said, trying to regain mine.  
I climbed up the stairs and finally slumped against the wall, laughing silently   
to myself. I didn't feel weird at all now. I headed for Cary's room and took off   
my shirt and jeans. After some thought, I left my panties on but discarded my   
bra and slipped on the lingerie I had brought. Staring into the mirror, I pulled   
my hair down and ran a brush through a couple of times before I got the   
stiffness from my ponytail out. I parted it to the side and picked up the sides   
in the same pins that I had worn when Cary had come over to our house that   
night. When he had first kissed me.  
Digging into my bag, I pulled out a lightly fragranced perfume and sprayed a   
gentle mist in the air and stepped through it. Stepping back, I examined myself.   
Watch out, Cary. Throwing my bag aside, I took my time heading downstairs,   
determined to make him wait until the last possible moment.   
After loitering for almost a minute, I climbed down the stairs and looked into   
the kitchen. Cary wasn't in there. I looked in the dining room. He wasn't there   
either. He wasn't in the den or the laundry room or in the rec room. Feeling   
worried and stupid, I stopped in the hall and leaned against the wall. Just   
then, piano music drifted in from the living room. It was the song Cary had   
written for me.  
Gazing into the room, I saw that the lights were out, he had drawn the shades   
and lit candles were lit around a blanket on the floor. On the blanket was a   
plate of spaghetti and meatballs, a bottle of champagne and a bowl of fresh   
strawberries.   
Forcing back a smile, I headed for the couch where Cary was lying (he had   
changed out of his clothes and was now wearing a black silk smoking jacket with   
a Chinese emblem on the back and lapels.   
"Bonjour, ma damoisele." He said in a fake French accent.  
"Bonjour." I said back.   
I picked my way around the candles and laid myself on top of him. My heart   
started hammering again as he kissed me.   
  
  
  
I didn't care much for the champagne or the strawberries or even the spaghetti.   
All I know is that it went in a blur as Cary and I took turns feeding each other   
until it was all gone and then we headed up to his room. We didn't say much,   
just held hands and walked up the stairs, darting furtive glances at each other.   
  
The walk down the hall to Cary's room was a mile long and when we reached his   
door, we kissed one more time.  
"Everything we need is in there." He told me.  
He was, of course, talking about the condom. I nodded. I couldn't speak just   
then, my mouth had suddenly become full of saw dust.   
As he turned the door knob, I grabbed his shoulder and desperately whispered, "I   
love you." I needed to say it. I needed to hear him say it.   
Cary turned back to me and nodded. "I love you, too." He said, gripping my   
shoulders and gazing at me through half-closed eyelids.  
We held each other close for several moments, silently communicating our fears,   
our love, everything before he took my hand in his and we walked through the   
door. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve:  
  
  
  
"You sure you can't stay?" Cary asked me as we walked down the steps.   
I smiled wanly and shook my head. "I don't want to risk mom finding out I didn't spend the night at Mary Anne and Dawn's." "You're right." Cary replied as we reached the end of his driveway.   
"What about you? Doing anything special today?" I asked him.   
Cary shrugged. "Alan wants me to hang out with him at the mall."   
I rolled my eyes. "Sometimes I don't see how you two can be friends-and I say that in the most positive sense there is."   
"Uh-huh. Sure." Cary said. "You shouldn't do sarcasm, Kristy-it's not becoming of you."   
I was about to reply but instead kissed him. He hung back for only a second before joining me. Somebody rode by on a bike and crashed into the garbage cans that stood on the sidewalks. Cary and I broke away just in time to see some kid struggling to get his balance as he pedaled away, obviously embarrassed to have seen us. Sigh, some people are just so immature.   
"Punk." Cary muttered as he walked over to the garbage cans, all the contents that had been inside lay scattered around the ground now.  
"Do you need help?" I asked.   
"No," he said quickly. "It's all right. No telling what the neighbors would think if they saw us picking up garbage together."   
I laughed. "I don't think they'd need much mental prodding-I don't think that much noise goes on even when Ben and Stieg are home."   
Cary's cheeks turned a bright red and I was satisfied to have made him blush at least once.   
"Are you sure?" I asked once more.   
"No. I'm fine." Cary said with a smile.   
"All right. I'll talk to you later." I told him, kissing him once again before I headed home. As I walked, I inhaled deeply. It had rained during the night and the air smelled fresh and new. The sun had rose and mom and Watson would probably be rushing to get to work by now. That would mean they wouldn't have time to ask too many questions. I'd just tell them that Mr. Spier dropped me off. After I had walked a block I felt my cheeks grow warm and a soft laugh escaped me. I had become a woman last night and all I could think of was what I would tell my mom when I got into the house. I don't know how to describe what I felt. Light, happy, unsure...all those things. My finger examined the ring that I was wearing around my neck on a chain. It was silver with a baroque ruby nestled the mouth of an eagle. By the time I reached my house I had memorized every groove and hurried to hide it under my blouse just as mom hurried out of the house.   
"Hello, Kristy!" she greeted, surprised. "Did they drop you off already?"  
"Yes." I replied. "Just a few minutes ago-I had to go check something at Shannon's house."   
Mom nodded and sighed. "Well, today's going to be a nightmare. I'm stuck at work all day and all the kids have their summer classes."   
"Just tell me what needs to be done." I cut in, knowing full well what she wanted of me. It didn't bother me that I'd be busy today. At the moment, nothing bothered me.   
Mom laughed, relieved. "Kristy, you're a doll. Charlie promised he'd drop them all and then pick up Andrew at his drawing class. Could you pick up David Michael at Little League and Karen at tap dancing?"   
I nodded and she thanked me about a thousand times before rushing off. I was on cloud nine as I made my way into the house, pass my brothers, up the stairs and then jumped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling thinking about Cary. I couldn't think of anything else.  
  
  
  
Cary sighed and nodded numbly as Alan jabbered on about Robin William's special on HBO the previous night.   
"Man, I can't BELIEVE you missed it!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. "The guy is a genius and you can't even fit it into your schedule to catch his shows."   
"I was a little busy." Cary replied, hiding a secretive smile.   
"Why?" Alan asked slyly. "You get lucky watching the History Channel. Don't feel bad, I hear that's how all Don Juan's get their girls hot."   
"How did you get so perverse, Alan?" Cary inquired as they headed into the Cheapo Music store. Despite it's name, Cheapo was only cheap when it came to the used CDs. If it was a new release, it was twenty bucks and up. Cary couldn't find it in his heart to tell his friend that he was being ripped off.   
"I didn't spend all my time with the geeks." Alan teased. "Don't get me wrong-I'll bet Merrie Dow can be a pretty hot number if she ditched the Mary Anne Spier braids and the coke bottle glasses."   
"Merrie's just a friend." Cary objected, then without thinking, added, "Kristy's the real thing."   
It took a while for Cary to realize that Alan hadn't said anything and looked up. Alan was staring at him strangely. It was hard to tell whether he was furious or trying to suppress hysterics.   
"Kristy?" Alan whispered, then burst out laughing. "Kristy?! Are you SERIOUS?!"   
Cary bit his bottom lip and frowned, he hadn't even realized that he'd spoken. "Yes, I am being serious."   
Alan took his time in calming down and then eyed Cary in a way he didn't like. "I don't think so. Kristy's good for a ride, especially if you can't afford Disney Land-but if you want a real woman, you're better off with Claudia. But I won't say it's easier to get Kristy into bed than Claud."   
With that, Alan walked out, waving dismally at the CDs. "I'm bored, let's blow out of here."   
"What the hell did you mean by that?" Cary asked as he followed Alan out of the store.   
"I meant that those CDs in there are rip offs- " Alan began.   
"NO! I meant about Kristy!" Cary declared hotly. "You made her sound like some kind of whore or something!"   
"I didn't mean anything like that." Alan declared. "It's not like she walks the street down by the truck stops or anything. But, come on, surely you've heard of her reputation."   
Reputation? Cary had learned a lot about Kristy the past summer, but all of those things had been positive. The only reputation she had around these parts was baby-sitting. He mentioned this to Alan and all he did was laugh.  
"Sure, but what do you really think she does on those sitting jobs?" Alan asked as they headed down the escalator. "I'm not saying anything. But the tricks she's pulled at school certainly make you think of what-or who- she does in her free time."   
Cary's head spun and for one mad instant he felt like punching Alan's face in. He maintained his composure long enough to ask a question that he really felt should have been left alone. "She's had other boyfriends before?" He asked curiously.   
Alan scoffed. "Sure. I should know. I was one of them-I never slept with her or anything if that's what you're wondering. But, I'll tell you, she sure knew how to make a guy beg."   
Cary laughed unbelievingly. "That does NOT sound like Kristy."   
"You mean she wasn't driving you crazy last night?" Alan asked, to which Cary glanced up a little too quickly. "Aha. I knew it. I don't blame you for screwing her. A lot of guys can't help themselves."   
Alan paused and leaned against the wall. "Let's see...after me there was Logan. Don't look at me like that, Cary, I kid you not. It didn't last long because he started seeing Mary Anne-but they do occasionally get together to play football-a fact, use it as you wish.   
"Then there was the time when she and Mr. Fiske were dancing at the Spring Fling in middle school. It might not have been anything, but mind you, they disappeared for an hour afterwards.   
"She had fun with this boy Bart Taylor for a little while, but even a spoiled rich boy can't satisfy her appetites. That's why she couldn't resist herself when SMS went on that trip to Europe. She and this dude, Michel DuMoulin, were all over each other the entire trip. He even went up to her room on the farewell party-a"   
Alan might have gone on and on forever about Kristy's 'history' but Cary didn't give him a chance. Without realizing, he had balled his hand into a fist and knocked Alan across the jaw so forcefully that he stumbled. Without saying good-bye, Cary stomped away while Alan yelled a few obscenities about his choice of women at his cold back. As he headed out of the mall, Cary clenched his hair in his fists. All those things that Alan said couldn't be true, right?   
Kristy....HIS Kristy wouldn't do any of those things. As far as he knew, she was fairly innocent and certainly as inexperienced as he was...that's part of what had made last night so comfortable. And Cary had known nothing about Kristy's ex-Bart Taylor. Why hadn't she told him? If it was truly over, what was the big deal about telling him? Cary shook his head as he headed home. He'd talk to Kristy about it. She'd settle all this bull-crap. Meanwhile, he started to analyze his friendship with Alan and decided that Kristy was right: now he didn't know how he could be friends with him either. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen:  
  
  
  
  
"Oooh! Mac and Cheese!" Karen exclaimed excitedly. "I love Mac and Cheese!"  
"I don't." David Michael said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "The cheese sticks to the sides of your mouth and between your teeth--" Gag me, David Michael. "--and besides, I think that it should be called 'Cheese and Macaroni'!"  
This is my personal theory about why world peace can never be attained. Not enough people like Macaroni and Cheese (or vice-versa, in David Michael's case) and too little people love pizza.   
All right, so I exaggerate. But I was at the end of my rope--it was like this all day. Karen and David Michael were at each other's throats from the moment they walked through the door. Andrew was an angel. He just sat quietly while the thunder rolled around him.   
"That's it!" I shouted above the noise. "It's obvious you two are finished with your dinners--go up to bed!"  
"NO!" the two exclaimed in unison.   
"We'll be good." Karen declared.  
"We promise!" Confirmed David Michael.  
"Well..." I said, pretending to weigh the whole idea. "Okay. But you better keep your promise."  
"We will." They answered.  
We finished up our dinner without any more squabbles and I sent them up to get ready for bed. An hour later, just as I was finishing up their bedtime stories, mom and Watson came home. They didn't say much to me, just hurried up to their room, looking excited and happy. My eyes followed them curiously as the door closed and, I couldn't help myself, I went back upstairs and pressed my ear against the door.  
"When should we tell the kids, honey?" Watson's voice.  
"Right now, no, maybe tomorrow night--or morning? I don't know." Mom said. "Oh, what are they going to think? They'll think I'm too old. It'll be ridiculous."  
"Elizabeth, you're pregnant. You're not trying to be a rock star--that would be ridiculous..."  
Their conversation went on, but I was dazed. Mom was pregnant? My heart stopped. I was going to have another sibling in the house! I couldn't believe it. I immediately began to think about where we could go shopping for the new baby's clothes. I even rearranged my entire schedule to fit into the baby's own. I was so excited that I hopped down the stairs and twirled around the living room.   
In the middle of a turn (what Jessi Ramsey would call a 'pirouette') the phone rang. I picked it up energetically. I would be lucky if it were one of my friends--I needed someone to talk to--I didn't think I would be able to go to bed tonight even if I were given a million dollars.  
"Hello?" I asked.  
"Hello? Kristy?" Cary!  
"Hey, Cary! What's up?"   
"Oh...nothing...just...nothing. What about you? You seem--"  
"Oh, Cary, the best thing has just happened!" I exclaimed.  
A pause on the other end before he said, "Oh? Really?"  
"Yes! We're pregnant!"  
"WHAT?!" Cary exclaimed, shocked. "But--but, I mean, last night--our first?--you couldn't possibly be--"  
"Oh no, not US, Cary. My family--my MOTHER." I explained and I could practically hear his relief on his side.  
I laughed a little. "You seem a little preoccupied."   
"No, it's nothing." He said softly.  
"Listen, you have to help me go shopping for my new sister or brother!" I told him.  
"Well, sure--I'd be happy to."   
"Great."  
"I'll--I'll meet you at the...mall? Tomorrow?"  
"Whatever floats your boat."  
I imagine him smiling a little, but for some reason I feel it's probably a wistful smile. I push the image away and sigh.  
"Oh, by the way, why did you call me?"  
"What? Oh nothing, just...I...I just wanted to tell you good night, I guess." After a beat, "Um...good night."  
"Good night, Cary." I said, shaking my head.   
  
  
  
I carefully peruse a pair of yellow baby booties on a rack as I pass by. Yellow is the perfect color to buy a new born (especially if you don't even know what it's going to be), it's neutral. I pick the booties up and show Cary.   
"What do you think?" I ask him.  
"It's a little small for you, don't you think?" he says.  
I push him away a little and place them back. "I thought you were going to be helpful."  
"I AM being helpful--I don't know how yet, but I'll figure it out if you give me a minute."  
He's joking again. But for some reason it doesn't seem like it comes out easily. I met up with him at the food court this morning and he seemed happy to see me, but also a little uneasy. We ended up shopping two days after the scheduled date because he kept having important errands to run. I wrung my hands for nearly ten minutes before I was able to start feeling comfortable with him again. Cary tried to ease up too, but I could tell his uneasiness was far too immense for it to just go away.  
We walked around a little before I purchased a little yellow jumpsuit with periwinkle stars on it. We ambled around the mall for a half hour, not saying much. Cary told me how Ben and Stieg were doing and I told them about my baby-sitting job at the Barrett-Dewitts. He laughed when I told him about Lindsey's crush. He genuinely seemed to loosen up. That all ended when I wanted to check out Cheap-o Music.   
I looked around at some CDs for baby music but Cary hung back, so much that he was practically by the door the entire time I shopped.   
"Sorry." I reply as I pay for two CDs, one by Beethoven and another by Mozart. "I know guys don't like to shop."  
Cary smiles tensely but says nothing. We walk a few feet from the store when I sit down on the bench by the wall.  
"Cary, is something wrong?" I ask him.  
Cary seems hesitant to answer. "Well...no."  
I can tell by the pause between the two words that there IS something wrong. And it also has something to do with me.  
"Really?" I raise an eyebrow at him and stand up. "You've been kind of quiet ever since we met up."  
Cary turns away, as if repulsed by me. I shrink away, feeling a little hurt. What is up with him? And why won't he tell me?  
"Why don't we get something to eat?" I say.  
Cary turns back and smiles. A forced smile. Part of me wants to rip it of his face, part of me wants to look away.   
"I'm not really hungry, Kristy." He says.  
"Oh...oh, well that's okay." I tell him. "Why don't we--"  
"Why don't we call it a day?" He suggests hurriedly.  
I may not be a sophisticated, experienced person, but I CAN tell when someone doesn't want to be around me. I raise my eyebrows suspiciously.  
"Are you tired?"   
"No."  
"Have a previous engagement?"  
"...NO."  
"Then WHAT'S going on?" I ask him. "Maybe I can help."  
"No, Kristy, you've done enough." He says. As soon as the words leave his mouth, he looks like he wants to pull them back. As if he just said something he shouldn't have. And he shouldn't have.   
"What do you mean by that?" I demand.   
"Nothing." He tells me. "Just forget I said anything."  
"Cary, please!" I say, reaching for his arm.  
He pulls away. "Kristy, would you please lower your voice?"  
"No I won't." I tell him. "Not until you tell me what the hell's the matter with you."  
Cary looks around at all the people that have begun to look at us and he sighs. When he turns to me, his eyes seem glassy and twinkle with something...tears?  
"Kristy...I...I think..." He stops abruptly then starts again. "This isn't going to work."  
"The mall? That's fine. We can leave--"   
"NO. Not our location. Our relationship. It won't work."  
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Wasn't it just a few nights ago that we reached the pinnacle of a couple's relationship? The milestone that clearly shows that your relationship IS working? My heart sinks and I feel my nose begin to stink. I'm pretty sure it's turning bright pink and I look more like Mary Anne now than I ever did in my entire life. There's a lump in my throat as I try to speak, it's difficult to talk so I squeeze out just one word, "Why?"  
Cary looks away, leaning over the railing. He takes a few deep breaths and shakes his head, I can't help but notice that his entire body is shaking.   
"Kristy, let me be honest with you...I didn't have any errands to run the past two days. I was thinking about us...REALLY thinking, Kristy... and I've...I've come to the conclusion that it just won't work."  
"Give me one reason why it won't work!" I demand passionately, not caring that I'm making it obvious that I'm the one being dumped.  
"It's a matter of morals and values, that's all. Beliefs, Kristy...I don't think you're the type of girl I should be...associating with..."  
Cary looks pained but at the moment I feel no pity. Only anger and sadness. HOW can Cary SAY this?! Doesn't he know I'd do anything for him? We were hardly moving fast in our decisions...morals and values? What does he mean by THAT? Does he think I'm easy or something?  
"Cary..." I say, tears falling down my cheeks now. "Isn't there some way--? What have I done?"  
Cary looks at me sadly at first but then his eyes narrow and he looks positively livid. "You never told me that you used to date Alan--or half of the male population in Stoneybrook for that matter."  
My mind goes blank and I feel like laughing for a moment. Why would he think that Alan and I were actually serious? Two stupid dates--two!--and they meant nothing! And I've had more dentist visits in the past year than boyfriends in my entire lifetime.  
"Cary, you're delusional. Who told you that?" I ask him.  
"It's not important." Cary snapped, looking hurt. "I thought you told me you were a virgin."  
I blush deeply at this because of how loud he said it. "I WAS--"  
"Until when?" he cut off. "Until Michel DuMoulin? Or Bart Taylor? Or was it a little more close to home--with Logan or Mr. Fiske?"  
"I was a virgin until this week Cary! With YOU! With you and only YOU!" I scold him.   
"That's not what I hear..." Cary says finally.  
In a last, desperate attempt to salvage what I could of our practically non-existent relationship, I say, "What does it matter? Don't you trust me?"  
Cary shakes his head and I feel my heart sink. "I don't know what I trust anymore..."  
Our heated spat dwindles to a cold, empty silence until Cary looks at me, his eyes devoid of any feelings whatsoever.  
"Good-bye, Kristy..."  
Then he leaves. He walks through the crowds, down the escalator and out of my life. I can't believe it happened. But it did. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen:  
  
  
  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!   
Just as summer began, it ends with my alarm clock singing at the top of its lungs; waking me up from a deep, although groggy, sleep. My eyes snap open and I once again feel awful. Only this time it isn't only because I have to go back to school today. It's also because I realize all over again that it's over with Cary and me. It has been three weeks since our break up and those have been the toughest three weeks of my life.   
I roll over onto my side and close my eyes, as if by doing so I'll postpone summertime a little longer. I should be feeling better, stronger even, because my friends have been so supportive of me; taking me places, forcing me to go even when I didn't want to.  
"You need to get out, Kristy." Mary Anne told me.  
"She's right, you know, it isn't the end of the world." Stacey said.  
It was a little difficult to believe that. I mean, people are always saying that it isn't the end of the world-but then why does it hurt so much? There's a loud knock at my door, then before even a moment passes, someone opens it.  
"Kristy?" Sam's voice.  
"What do you want?" I ask him pointedly, pulling the covers over my head.  
"If you want a ride to school, you'll need to hurry up." He tells me.  
After a minute, I mumble a reply, "Give me five minutes."  
Sam doesn't say anything, just leaves my room. Once he's gone, I begin to think about the thing that hurts the most: Cary broke it off with me only days after we had slept together. My thoughts dwell on that all the while I get dressed. I throw on a sweater and jeans, returning back to the Kristy that everyone knows and loves…well, almost everyone…  
As I climb down the stairs, Sam sneers at me playfully. "So, how does it feel-sophomore?"  
"When am I ever going to be old enough to be respected around here?" I ask, pony-tailing my hair.   
"Being the little sister?" Sam snorted. "Never."  
  
  
"So, how are we holding up, Kristy?" Claudia asks me as I open up my locker.  
"We are holding up just fine-it's me that I'm worried about." I tell her.  
She smiles at me sympathetically and pats my shoulder. "Well, if it's any constellation, you look a lot better-you're sleeping now, right?"  
"Yes. I'm sleeping more often than I'm living." I tell her good-naturedly. Then I smile as I add, "And it's consolation."  
"What is?" Claud asks.  
Before I could explain to her, Mary Anne and Stacey join us. If we had Dawn, Mallory and Jessi with us the circle would be complete. Sigh, summer really is over.   
Mary Anne smiles at me comfortingly and takes my hand. "Ready to go?"  
"Sure." I tell them. "Where are your first classes?"  
We begin to compare schedules, after a while, Alan joins us.   
"Hey, Kristy." He greets me with a strange smile.  
I give him a half smile but I can't bring myself to be warm to him, after all, he was Cary's best friend for the longest time. Part of me wonders if the two are alike in some ways. I can't bear the thought of Alan hurting Claud the way Cary hurt me. Then I shake my head, more than likely; it's Claud who'd carry the upper hand of the relationship.  
The bell rings then; Stacey and Mary Anne's first class is in G-wing. Claud is the only one in A-wing. The big surprise is that Alan and I have the same homeroom. Alan seems unusually friendly today; I notice that with some suspicion. He isn't usually this interested in my life.   
As we round the corner, we bump into the last person I wish to see: Cary Retlin. It seems weird seeing him after three weeks. Cary's set features fall when he sees me, they soften almost, but then harden again.   
"Alan." He says, nodding slightly to Alan.  
"Cary." Alan replies smugly.  
Cary moves away then. He walks down the hallway and enters a classroom without so much a second glance at me. Tears spring into my eyes and I lean against the wall for support.   
"Kristy! Are you okay?" asks Alan, touching my shoulder.  
"He didn't even notice me." I say. I don't mean to tell him but the words just tumble out.  
Alan's eyebrows shoot up. "You mean-you and Cary-you broke up?"  
I nod and wipe away a stray tear that has reached all the way to my chin.  
"Oh, Kristy, I'm sorry." He adds, "Why did you dump him?"  
I look up at him. "What?"  
Alan shrugs, looking perplexed. "I just thought…well, since he was seeing Merrie Dow while he was dating you…" His expression falls as I stare at him murderously. "…You didn't know?"  
"No…no, I didn't!" I exclaim.   
"I just figured that you found out." Alan says with child like innocent that I don't buy for a minute.  
The tardy bell rings and I head off in the other direction hastily.  
"Kristy! You'll be late."  
"So will you." I yell over my shoulder. "I'll be fine, just go."  
I hurry to the girl's bathroom and lock myself in a stall. I cry here now. There's a heavy feeling in my chest and I can't breathe. At the moment I can't do anything but cry. I feel hurt that Cary would have seen another girl while he was dating me. I feel hurt that he used me for his own pleasure. And I feel hurt that he never cared.   
I cry for nearly five minutes before my sobs reduce to sniffles. I have to pull myself together. I head out of the stall and look at my reflection in the mirror…it isn't a pretty sight. My eyes are red and puffy and my skin is pale. The facet swishes as I turn it on and splash cold water over my face. It feels comforting but not particularly better. The intercom crackles on and our principal, Mr. Princeridge's voice comes on.  
"Welcome new and returning students of Stoneybrook High School…we hope that you will have a tremendously fun and productive year. We highly encourage you that you join up in the numerous clubs and sports SHS has to offer. Meetings for the Drama Club and National Forensics League are this Tuesday during lunch in A101. The Girls' Softball Team will hold their tryouts next week Friday after school…That will be all for now… More announcements for clubs or sports in the curriculum will be coming…Once again, have a great year!"  
The intercom switched off and I shook my head. That welcoming announcement had been almost identical to the one Mr. Princeridge told during my freshman year. My mind snapped to the announcement he made about the Girls' Softball team and that pushed my present issues about Cary aside. I hadn't joined the team last year because I wanted to get better situated in high school before I made any commitments to sports. As I left the bathroom I came face to face with Cary. Nearly bumped into him actually.  
"C-Cary!" I exclaimed, freezing in my spot.   
"Kristy." He said wispily.   
We stared at each other in silence for several moments before I turned away.  
"Kristy, I-" He began, but I didn't give him the chance to finish.  
"Just forget it." I snapped at him. I had to get away from him. My pride was diminishing with every second that I was near him.  
As I rounded a corner, I made a decision. I would try out for the Softball team this year. It might not heal all, but it would keep me busy and I wouldn't have to spend the next few months mourning over Cary Retlin…I hoped.  
  
  
Epilogue   
As it turned out, joining the team that year was the best thing that I ever did. I just barely made it onto the first-string list because of how rusty I had become, even with all the coaching that I did with the Krushers. But with the help of my teammates and Coach Bednarzyk I was able to become a sharp batter and pitcher and we ended up winning the championship for the season.   
Believe it or not, that wasn't the best thing of the year. During our last game, there was a talent scout in the stands. He had heard of our winnings from all the way in California (thoughts of my father enter my mind; I don't need to tell you how he and Cary seem more alike now than ever…) and came to see what could be made of a few 'country bumpkins'.  
Well, he didn't choose a few country bumpkins. Only one. Me. After our game, he was waiting by the locker room, talking with Coach B. The two pulled me aside and talked to me about putting me on a newly formed women's baseball team. I eagerly agreed and told my family.   
Mom and Watson were hesitant to put me on a full-touring sports team but I begged and pleaded and bargained until I felt like I had volunteered everything but the very soul in my body. I feel now that I was just trying to run away from Stoneybrook, even for a little while. I needed something new and away. Finally they relented and I set out for five years of playing for the Connecticut Coulees. After the five I signed a ten-year multi-million contract to be the first female player in the Major Leagues. I never dreamed that I would be doing that-it was always something I imagined Abby would be doing.  
I haven't been back to Stoneybrook for nearly fifteen years now…but part of me still lives there…perhaps a part of me that will never leave. No matter how far I travel or how long I'm away, I'll always think of Cary. And that's the thing that scares me the most.  
  
  
Finis  
  
  
Note: Thank you for reading my first BSC fanfic. I realize this isn't a very satisfying ending, but Kristy will be returning in a sequel fic that I am writing entitled: The Reunion or whatever seems appropriate. J J J  
  
--wildnfree21 


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